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THE CHURCH HISTOEIANS 
OF ENGLAND. 



THE CHURCH HISTORIANS 

OF ENGLAND. 



VOU IV.— PART L 



COXTAISriXO 



THE CHRONICLES OF JOHN AND RICHARD 

OF HEXHAM. 

THE CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 

THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 

JORDAN EANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 

DOCUMENTS RESPECTING j:ift5TERBURY 

AND WINCHESTER. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TEXTS, 
WITH PREFACES AND NOTES, 

BY THE REV. JOSEPH STEVENSON, M.A. 

OF U!CITBBfITT COLLEGE, DUEB AX : 

VICAB OF LEIGHTON BUZZARD. 




FLEET STREET axd HANOVER STREET. 

MDCCCLVI. 



/ / U 77-^ - -■/ f ^ 






"^t^ 



R. CLAT. PRIN'TEE, BRKAD UTRKKT HILLi UtKOOH, 



CONTENTS. 



PAOK 

The CnRONiCLE of John, Prior op Hexham, from a.d. 1130 to a.d. 1154 I 

The Acts of Kixo Stephen, and the Battle of the Standard, bt 

Richard, Piuor of Hexham, from a.d. 1135 to a. d. 1189. . . . 33 

The Chronicle of Holt rood, from a.d. 1 to a.d. 11 CS 59 

The Chronicle of Melrosf^ from a.d. 731 to a.d. 1275 77 

Jordan Fantosme's Chronicle of the War between the English and 

THE Scots, A. D. 1173, 1174 243 

Documents rkspectino the Archbishoppjc of Canterbury, from a.d. 503 

to A.D. 1503 289 

Documents resfectino the Bishopric of Winchester, from a. d. 596 to 

A-D. 1531 845 



VOi . IV 



PREFACE TO THE HEXHAM HISTORIANS. 



§ 1 . Two priors of the Augustinian priory of St. Andrew's, of 
Hexham, in the county of Northuniberland, have written continua- 
tions of the chronicle of Simeon of Durham. Translations of 
these are embodied in the present volume. 

§ 2. "The History of the Church of Hexham, by John the 
prior." embraces a period of twenty-five years, namely, from a.d. 
11 30 to 11 54, both inclusive. We have no distinct indication as 
to the exact period at which it was written ; but there appears to 
be reason for concluding that it was penned shortly after the death 
of king Stephen, and, consequently, that the events which it records 
are the impressions of a contemporary author As might naturally 
be expected, the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the north of 
England claim a prominent part in these pages. The earlier 
portion is inferior in historical interest to the latter, and exhibits 
frequent traces of compilation from existing sources, constantly 
blended, however, with original notices of events, connected chiefly 
with the dioceses of York, Durham, and Carlisle, in all of 
which the monastery of Hexham had endowments. From the 
year 1139 the work increases in value, and from that point its 
narrative may be accepted as an independent authority. Its chro- 
nology, however, towards the end, is confused and faulty ; but 
whether this arises from want of precision on the part of the 
copyist, or the author, is not clear. 

§ 3. Only one manuscript copy of this work is known, which 
is preserved in the library of archbishop Parker, at Corpus Christi 
College, in Cambridge, No. cxxxix. From this source it was 
printed by Twysden in his Decem Scriptores (col. 257 — 282), the 
text of which edition, the only one which has yet appeared, forms 
the basis of our translation. 

§ 4. Of greater value is the " History of the Acts of king 
Stephen, and the Battle of the Standard," by Richard,* prior of 
Hexham. It. extends from a.d. 1135 to 1139, both inclusive ; and 
is occupied chiefly with an account of the irruptions of the Scots, 
under king David, into the northern districts of England, of which 
it gives some painful details. Its Hexham origin is frequently 
perceptible (pp. 43, 44, 52), and the information which it affords 
is valuable, as the contemporaneous narrative of a well-informed 
historian. 

§ 5. One only manuscript copy of this chronicle remains, that, 
namely, in the library of Corpus College, to which reference has 
already been made, and to which we are indebted for so many 

' Ab Richard did not attain to the dignity of prior of Hexham until ▲.d. 114S 
(p. 20), this work may have been written while he waa yet a simple monk. 

b2 



▼Ill PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 

important documents connected with the north of England. 
Twysden's edition is the only copy of the Latin text, and from 
that source it has here been translated. 



PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 

§ 1. Simeon of Durham, and his Hexham continuators, present 
us with a history of the ecclesiastical affairs of the northern 
districts of the kingdom, as seen from an English point of view ; 
but the two following chronicles, the productions of Scottish authors 
— who may be presumed to have written under the influence of 
prejudices and feelings not always in unison with those of their 
southern neighbours — have a claim upon our attention. 

§ 2. " The Chronicle of Holyrood," near Edinburgh, (an eccle- 
siastical establishment belonging to the Canons Regular of St. 
Augustine,^ extends from the birth of our Saviour to the year 
1163, at which point it ends abruptly and imperfectly. It consists 
of two parts, easily distinguishable from each other ; the earlier 
portion, as far as the year 731, is to be referred chiefly to the 
historical writings of the venerable Beda.* No entries occur 
from 734 to 1065. The second portion of this chronicle, how- 
ever, from 1065 until its conclusion in 1163, is very valuable, 
affording us important information upon the ecclesiastical history of 
northern England, and the Lothians of Scotland. 

§ 3. Tlie only existing manuscript of this chronicle is preserved 
in the library of Lambeth Palace, in which collection it is numbered 
'440. It is a small quarto, written upon vellum, in a hand of the 
twelfth century, which has transcribed the entire chronicle, but 
which, by degrees, becomes a little larger, and more careless 
towards the end. On the second leaf, and in a hand of the 
thirteenth century, is this inscription : " Liber Sanctse Mariae de 
S. Servano,* ex dono Willelmi filii Dunecani, personse ipsius 
ecclesiae." 

§ 4. In 1691, Henry Wharton published this chronicle, under 
the title of the " Chronicon Sanctae Crucis," in his Anglia Sacra 
(i. 152 — 162), with the omission, however, of the passages anterior 
to A.D. 596. A second and more complete edition has recently 
been printed by Robert Pitcaim, Esq., for private circulation among 
the members of the Bannatyne club of Edinburgh. The present 
translation is from Wharton s text, completed and corrected by a 
collation with the original manuscript. 

^ Thus, in a. d. 729, he copies Beda*8 remark, that " the commencement and 
progreas of the reigu of Ceolwulf was marked by such an abundance of hostile 
proceedings, that it is impossible as yet to affirm what shall be their issue/' In 
the following passages the author's information is only partly from Boda, perhaps 
through some intermediate chronicle. See the year A.U.C. 752, a.d. 30, 588, 540, 
M7, 5tJ5, 605. 

} There was a parish of St. Serf in Perthshire, within the diocese of Dunkcld, 
wliich possibly may be the locality here designateiL See '* An alphabetical table 
of all the parishes in Scotland,** printed with Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 360, 
eil. 1S24. 



.PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELR08S* 



PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 



§ 1. Amongst the scanty documents illustrative of the early 
history of Scotland which have reached us, a distinguished rank is 
to be assigned to the chronicle of Melrose. The chronicle of 
Holyrood, which alone can compete with it in antiquity, is inferior 
in detail as well as in extent ; and its age gives it an undisputed 
advantage over the writings of Fordun, Wyntoun, Barbour, and 
Bower. The era, as well as the locality, of its composition places 
it above the chronicles of Hemingford, Gray, and that of the 
monks of Lanercost, how valuable soever these annals may be in 
the illustration of the later periods of our history. It is to the 
pages of this chronicle alone that we must advert for the general 
history of Scotland during several reigns, as narrated by Scotchmen ; 
and, excepting the brief notices of the chronicle of Holyrood, we 
have no other contemporaneous annalist until we arrive at Barbour 
and Fordun, both of whom wrote about a century after the abrupt 
termination of the chronicle of Melrose. 

§ 2. The present translation is founded upon the authority of 
the Cottonian manuscript, Faustina, B. ix. It was once a question 
of extreme importance whether that manuscript be an unique 
copy, or whether the text which it supplies might not be cor- 
rected or augmented by other manuscripts of equal value. It may 
now be affirmed, without hesitation, that no other early copy 
exists. There is none in the British Museum, nor is any 
indicated in the extensive Catalogus Manuscriptorum Angliae et 
Hibemiae, nor in the more recent lists of the libraries at Lambeth, 
Stow, or Durham, or in the general catalogues of manuscripts 
compiled by Montfaucon and Haenel. And yet, on the other 
hand, the writers at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of 
the eighteenth century, would induce us to suppose that manu- 
scripts existed in Scotland which exhibited considerable and im- 
portant variations from the text published by Gale and Fell from 
the Cottonian copy. It is asserted by Sir George Mackenzie,* that 
" certainly that English manuscript is very unfaithful, for most of 
the things relating to our nation are omitted, as particularly about 
the beginning, in the year 844. Our manuscript observes (which 
the English has not), that Alpin king of the Scots died, to whom 
succeeded his son Kenneth, who beat the Picts, and was declared 
first king of all Scotland, to the water of Tine ; and after it 
expresses in his epitaph, 

PrimuB in Albania fertur regnasse Eenedhua, 
Filius Alpini, projlia mnlta gerens.' 

And it observes that he was called the first king of Albany, not 
because he was the first who made the Scottish laws, but because 

' Defence of the Antiquity of the Royal Line of Scotland, p. 24, edit 1685. 
' Sir James Dalrymple, who citeg the same Hues, refers for them to a manu- 
■cript at Edinbui^h. CollectiouH, p. 90. 



X PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 

he was tlie first king of all Scotland." In a subsequent page of 
the same work, he says, ** I reflect not on the publishers of the 
manuscript of the abbacy of Melros, printed at Oxford, for I 
honour every thing that comes from that learned society in a 
special manner; but it is no reflection on them to say that we have 
another much fuller in what makes for Scotland, although it could 
not be so exact as the other monasteries, since it was ofttimes of 
old under the Saxons, who would certainly lessen what relates to 
us. And thus the fault lay in the copy, and not in the publishers; 
for the author of that manuscript calls Bede our countryman, so 
he must have been then our enemy ; but, however, it begins not 
with Alpin, as the Doctor alleges, though I mention that because 
he is not mentioned in the Oxford edition. It declares that it is 
to continue where tlie reverend Bede left, and so it is a proof of 
our nation and history for that time, and the differences of that 
shall be printed."* 

§ 3. Sir James Dalrymple tells us that he will not be at the 
pains to compare the Oxford edition with the manuscript copies to 
be found in Scotland or England, but that he will content himself 
with the printed one.* 

§ 4. Nicolson, in his Scottish Historical Library, had done 
much to perpetuate this belief, and has in other respects obscured 
the subject by the unguarded, erroneous, and contradictory manner 
in which he speaks of our Chronicle. The authority, which is 
generally attached to his work, somewhat undeservedly, renders it 
necessary to examine his statements, without reverting to those 
advanced by Mackenzie and Dalrymple, which he incorporates with 
his own. He agrees with the former of these writers that Gale's 
text is imperfect; and after quoting the following sentence — •* Rex 
Malcolmus Scotorum, veniens ad regem Anghae Henricum apud 
Cestriam, devenit homo suus, eo modo quo avus suus fuerat homo 
veteris regis Henrici, salvis omnibus dignitatibus suis" — he adds, 
" Nor is this matter taken notice of in the Oxford edition, but only 
in the manuscript copy which they have in Scotland." Strange to 
say, these very words are to be found in the Oxford edition.* Yet 
one of his subsequent observations seems intended to prove that 
the Scottish copies are less copious than the decried English edition, 
for he tells us that all " these manuscript copies in Scotland* end 
with the words ' Obiit Adam de Kilcontath [/. Kilconcath] comes 
de Karryc in Actonia [/. Acconia], cujus uxorem [Diuam nomine*] 

* Mackenzie's Defence, p. 96. * Collections, p. 205. 
» P. 169. 

* Two copies are mentioned in the first volume of the catalogue of the Advo- 
cate's Library ; and Haenel, col. 785, indicates one as in the collection of the 
University of Glasgow. This last the Editor had an opportunity of examining ; 
it is a small quarto, marked F. vii. 23, formerly belonging to Sir James Balfour, 
by whom it was transcribed from the original It ends in the same maunor as 
thoj-Q mentioned by Kicolaon, after which follows the colophon of the transcriber, 
as given in the text. As it was in the possession of the University in the year 
ITt'O, it is not improbable that Nicolson made his memoranda from thia copy, 
when on a visit to his "worthy friend, Mr. Robert Wudrow, library -keeper at 
Qlaagow." 

* The woiils here enclosed within brackets do not exist in the Cottonian 
manuscript. 



PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. XI 

comitissam de Karryc, postea junior Robertus de Bniys accepit in 
sponsam ;'" which demonstrates that they contain about two pages 
less than is given by the Oxford edition. He then adds the colo- 
phon appended to these transcripts, which states that " Haec est 
vera copia antiques Cronicse de Melros in Scotia, inchoata per 
abbatem de Dundranan, ab anno 735, continuata per varies ad 
annum 1270. Autographum extat in Bibliotheca Do. Robert! 
Cotton, militis, apud Westmonasterium." He attempts to obscure 
this clear statement by observing, " Now, though this is said to be 
a transcript of that in Cotton's Library, yet he that compares it 
with the extracts* made thence by Mr. Tyrrel, will find them very 
different;" and no wonder, since these extracts made by Tyrrel 
consist only, as has been noted below, of the verses printed at 
pp. 223-9 of this edition. From this tissue of error, confusion, 
and contradiction, it is impossible to avoid arriving at the convic- 
tion that the celebrated author of the Scottish Historical Library 
has written his notice of this important chronicle without giving 
himself the trouble of examining the stability of the arguments 
upon which rest his theories and assertions. 

§ 5. The latest author, as far as the editor is aware, who makes 
this statement is Spottiswood, who reiterates the assertion that 
" the Oxford edition published in the year 1684, does not agree 
with our manuscripts,"* but he supports it by no quotations or 
other proofs, and in this statement he seems blindly to have followed 
earlier authorities. 

§ 6. It is, therefore, clear that the Cottonian manuscript is the 
only ancient copy of whose existence we have any proof ; and it is 
equally clear that the " Scottish MSS." are mere abridged and 
recent transcripts from this original. 

§ 7. The Oxford edition, although not meriting the character 
which we have seen has been bestowed upon it, is yet by no means 
satisfactory. Without intending to derogate from the respect due 
to the learned editor under whose name the XV. Scriptores pass, 
it must be owned that this chronicle is there printed in a faulty 
and imperfect manner. It is an unnecessary, and would be an 
ungracious task, to specify these defects ; and the apology is of a 
very dubious character when the conjecture is hazarded that 
Fulman, the editor of the edition of 1684, followed, as his sole 
authority, a transcript now preserved at Oxford,* and that he ap- 
pears to have had no opportunity of collating this transcript with 

> " Vide Rer. Anglic Script. Vett tom.1. Oxon. 1684, p. 695, &c," which indi- 
cates the page containing the Chronicon Elegiacmn. 

' ReligiouB Houses, p. 417, edit. 1824. 

* In we library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, is a manuscript, No. 208, 
which contains ** Chronica de Mailros, qui codex ex bibliotheca Cottonensi fuit 
transcriptus, anno 1651, ut ex tranacriptoris chirographo apparet." The same 
Tolume contains the Annals of Burton, and the continuation of Ingulphus, " quibus 
usus est M. Fulman in sua Scriptorum Historiae Anglicanse voluminis primi 
editione Oxoniensi, anno 1684."— See Catal. MSS. Angliae et Hibemiae, ii. 64. 
This transcript was probably one of those made by Earbury for the intended 
continuation to the Decem Scriptores ; see the Preface to that volume, p. 8 ; 
serera], or all of which, having come into Bishop Fell's possession, were intro- 
duced into the Quindecim Scriptores. — See Hall's Trivet, prsef. (p. ii) note 1. 



Zn PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 

the original. That this transcript has not undergone a careful 
revision appears almost certain, for in more than one instance 
where the copyist had committed an obvious blunder, Fuhnan. 
observing the fault, has proposed as a conjectural emendation the 
very words which stand in the Cottonian original. 

§ 8. The author, or rather the authors, of this chronicle can- 
not now be ascertained. It has hitherto been customary to ascribe 
its commencement to an abbot of Dundrenan in Galloway, but this 
is one of the errors into wliich tlie faulty transcript perpetuated by 
the edition of 1684 has led all subsequent writers.* The true 
reading of the memorandum upon which it is founded is as 
follows : — " Memorandum, (luod abbas do Dundraynand mutuavit 
cronica de Melrose, in qiiibus fuerunt xiiij. quaterni, folio v'^'^ et 
xix."' At a subsequent period the abbot procured tlie loan of the 
remaining portion, " Abbas dc Dundrainan mutuo accepit reliquam 
partem cronicorum istorum." * In the first of these quotations 
the word mutuavit has been mistaken for inchoavit, and hence the 
origin of that claim upon our gratitude hitherto exercised by the 
abbot of Dundrenan. In this, as in other investigations of a 
similar nature, it is much Ccisier to produce negative than positive 
testimony ; and having removed the abbot of Dundrenan from his 
eminence, the Editor n\ust confess that he is unable to place any 
other claimant in his stead. Since, however, the dispersion of 
error is a step, and that not an unimportant one, towards the at- 
tainment of truth, a few sentences may be devoted in examining 
the accuracy of the statements hitherto promulgated as to the 
authorship, antiquity, etc., of this chronicle, before venturing to 
make any observations upon these important subjects. 

{ 9. Nicolson, Dalrymple, and others, state that it is partly the 
production of English writers, partly of Scotchmen. The first 
portion, which they ascribe to an English author, extends, say 
they, to about the period " when the little convent of Dundrai- 
nand was founded ;"* in confirmation of which they add that 
Beda is styled " decus et gloria gentis nostra." * It might be 
urged, with great reason, that the writer of that introduction, 
considering Beda, as he afterwards styles him, " doctor non solum 

Anglorum verum etiam universae ecclesiae," might, without 

any breach of national feehng, use the words ** gentis nostra ;** 
seeing that the great luminary of the Saxon church, whom he 
so much admires, and whose labours it was the object of his 
present employment to continue, was born, spent a long life, and 
died, within less than a hundred miles of Melrose. But it may 
rather be remarked, that to adduce such an expression as proof of 
the English authorship of this part of the chronicle, betrays a for- 
getfulness of the relative position and circumstances of the two 
countries when these words were penned. Prior to the bloody 
wars commenced by Edward the First, and the feelings of enmity 

1 Gale's Preface, p. 2; Nicolson's EngL Hist. Libr. p. 62, edit. 1714; Scottiah 
Hint Libr. p. 80, edit. 1702 ; Spottiawood, p. 417; Dalrymple's Collections, p. 205, 
» Fol. 10. b. » Fol. 45, b. 

* Nicol. Kngl. Libr. p. 68. * Dalrymple, p. 205. 



PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. XIU 

'which, originating in them« continued to inflame the two nations 
with mutual hatred to a period comparatively recent, the sovereigns 
of Northern and Southern Britain were, in general, upon terms of 
intimacy, if not of friendship ; ^ and however much the expression 
commented upon, when viewed under the influence of modem 
prejudices, might seem a proof of an English origin, it would not at 
first convey, any such idea. 

§ 10. That the English authorship of this early part of the history 
may appear the more obvious, Nicolson* argues that the monas- 
tery of Melrose itself seems to have been in the hands of the 
English, from the fact that Waltheof, brother of Henry, earl of 
Northumberland, and of Simon, earl of Northampton, in whom be 
recognises only the scion of a southern family, was made abbot of 
Melrose ; forgetting that his mother, the countess Matilda/ 
became the wife of David, prince of Cumberland, who afterwards 
ascended the throne of Scotland. 

§11. The same writer says,* that " in the year 1157, the abbot of 
Dundrainan, or some of his countrymen, was most probably the 
scribe ; this being the account which he gives of the Scotch king's 
homage : Rex Malcolmus Scotorum venicns ad regem AngUae 
Henricuni apud Cestriam devenit homo suus, eo modo quo avus 
suus fuerat homo veteris regis Henrici, salvis omnibus dignita- 
tibus suis." Unfortunately, however, for this theory, the passage 
has been transcribed verbatim from Hoveden.* He farther states 
that this is not noticed in the Oxford edition, " but only in the 
manuscript copy which they have in Scotland," whereas the passage 
is in the Oxford edition.* 

§ 12. That the present chronicle is the production of a series 
of writers who were inmates of Melrose, appears from a variety of 
passages scattered throughout the following pages, references to 
a few of which are given in the note below,' for the purpose of 
removing the doubt which has recently been expressed, whether 
the present compilation be indeed the chronicle of Melrose. The 
diversities of writing which the manuscript presents, will evince 
that we cannot ascribe its compilation to any individual author ; 
but that a century, at least, must have elapsed between the time 
when the prologue was written, and that which saw recorded the 
exploits of prince Edward in the Holy Land. 

§ 13. This chronicle naturally resolves into two distinct por- 
tions, that, namely, which is a composition from preexisting 
authorities, and that which may be considered as an original com- 
position. In the earlier portion there occur various passages 
which have been translated from the Saxon Chronicle, but 
whether directly from that venerable authority, or through the 
medium of some other source of information common in the 

' How entirely national feeling was lost in religions partizanship niay be seen in 
the passages contained, pp. 135, 156, 168. 

' Scottish Hist. Libr. p. 80. * Dugdale's Baronage, L 56. 

♦ Scottish Hist. Libr. p. 80. * lb. f. 281, b. Lond. edit. « Page 168. 

' See the Tarious i^assages which occur in the years 1159, 1179, (ef. Fordim, 
479, 1240.) 1261. See also under the years 1132, 1135, 1171. 1175. 1184. 1189, 
•1192, 1200, 1202, 1215, 1216, 1232, 1204, 1235, 1236, 1238, 1239, 1211, 1242, cto. 



XIV PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 

annals ascribed to Simeon of Durham, Hoveden, and our annalist, 
is by no means clear. There are not wanting arguments which 
might be adduced to prove that an independent version has been 
made,' some illustrations of which are given in the note below ; 
but in a question of such obscurity, it is not easy to arrive at a 
satisfactory conclusion. 

§ 14. It is obvious that very much of the earlier portion of these 
annals is to be referred to Simeon of Durham ; ' a comparison of 
the two, at almost any point, will afford abundant illustrations. 
Hoveden, too, whose history is, for the most part, a repetition of 
the prior labours of Simeon of Durham, and Henry of Huntingdon, 
i^pears to have furnished some of the peculiarities where a 
departure from the text of Simeon is observable. Even during 
this early period, there are introduced passages which must be 
considered original.' From about the year 1140 to the end, the 
information of the chronicle may be considered as original, and 
the numerous and progressive variations in the handwriting show 
that it is very frequently, if not always, contemporaneous. 

4 15. The chronicle of Melrose became, in its turn, the source 
from which other chronicles obtained portions of their information. 
Fordun has followed it in passages without number ; of which a 
very few are indicated in the note below ;* and cites it as " qusedam 

' A.D. 782. The notice of the council of Ade is placed by Florence in 781 ; by 
Richard of Hexham in 788 ; Simeon and HoTeden omit the year ; 
the Chron. Melr. agrees with the Saxon. 
794. The last sentence in this year adheres doeely to the Saxon ; Simeon, 
as usnal, is much more diffuse in his narrative ; Horeden differs 
from both. 
797. The sentence concerning pope Leo is a dose Tersion of the Saxon ; 
Simeon's narrative, placed under the year 799, is considerably 
amplified ; Florence g^ves the sense, but in different words, and 
further removed from the diction of the original; Hoveden omits 
it entirely. 
800. The sentence " rex Korolus,** etc., is taken, almost verbatim, from 
a Latin notice in the Laud manuscript of the Saxon Chronicle, 
a version which the compiler seems to have followed ; it is amr 
plified and dothed in very different language by Simeon ; Hoveden 
omits it. 
S38. This year is omitted by Simeon ; Florence has it, but in an abridged 
form ; Hoveden nearly agrees with the Chron. Melr., but is less 
correct and dose in translating from the Saxon. 
851. The notice of the Danish invasion is probably a direct extract from 
the Saxon Chronide, although Florence's narrative approaches 
nearly to the samesoiuce ; Simeon and Hoveden g^ve it differently. 
866. The use of the word " degenerem," in our chronide, is worthy of 
notice ; Florence, and, from him, Simeon, here style Ella simply 
" tyrannum,** but in the Saxon text he is described as " ungecyndne 
cyning,** an epithet of which " degenerem " is a translation. 
It would not be difficult to extend the number of instances equally conclusive. 
' The copy of Simeon, which was used in the compilation of the present 
chronide, seems to have contained the additions of John, prior of Hexham ; com- 
pare the two authorities under the year 1131. 

' For instance, the notes of the origin and progress of the Tyronensian Order 
under the years 1109, 1113, 1115, 1118, etc 
* Compare the following passages : — 

Chron. Mel. a.d. 1172, with Fordun, vol. I p. 463, line 6. 
„ 1174, „ p. 471, line 10. 

1174, „ p. 474, line 39. 

„ 1176. „ p. 475, line 5. 

It would be easy to multiply instances, but they are too obvious to require notice. 



PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. XT 

antiqua chronica/'* " antiquum scriptum,"* or " vetusta chronica."* 
Since, however, the earlier portion of our chronicle be but a com- 
pilation from other historians, it may be asked if Fordun did not 
derive these notices from the same common sources from which 
they were introduced into the chronicle of Melrose ; but such 
was not the case, as will appear by a comparison of those passages 
which have undergone abridgement or aJteration in being tran- 
scribed from the English original.* 

§ 16. Wyntoun cites some information from " comyklys awld,"* 
a reference which, as the learned Macpherson observes, " is 
apparently the chronicle of Melrose."* 

§ 17. The chronicle of Lanercost contains many sentences 
transcribed from that of Melrose ; and a comparison of the 
two leads to the conclusion that the copy was made by the 
English monks from the manuscript now preserved in the Cottonian 
Library."' 

§ 18. The Chronicon Rythmicum, which has been entered into 
the chronicle of Melrose by a hand of the early part of the 
fourteenth century, must be considered an interpolation, and has 
been dealt with as such in the present edition.' But the contents 
of fol. 53 of the manuscript, containing a few memoranda, have 
been inserted in their respective places in the text. 

§ 19. When, or by what means, the manuscript now in the 
British Museum came into the hands of Sir Robert Cotton, cannot 
be ascertained. The editor is inclined to think, that by some 
accident it was carried oflf from Melrose at a period, if not anterior 
to, at least immediately after, the Reformation. Had it been 
preserved there when viscount Haddington had a grant of the 
Abbey-lands, it is probable that he would have preserved it along 
with the splendid collection of charters which came into his 
possession upon that occasion, or that some extracts from it 
would have been found in his " Collections of Charters, Evidents, 

' VoL i. p. 499, line 13 ; cf. Chron. MeL A.D. 1199. 
' Vol. i. p. 536, line 84 ; ct Chron. MeL a.d. 1183. 

* VoL L p. 265, line 6 ; cfl Chron. Mel. a-d. 1070. 

* For instance, Fordun, toL i. p. 270, line 2, when speaking of the prisoneim 
whom William the Conqueror requested to be freed, mentions " Y ulnotum regia 
Haroldi germanum, quem a pueritia in custodia,** obviously omitting a yerb neces- 
■arr for the completion of the sense. The same words are in the chronicle of 
Melroee, p. 59, line 4 ; but the original authority, Horeden, supplies the necessary 
Terb, " tenuerat," foL 204, line 23. 

* VoL L p. 146. • VoL iL p. 464. 

' The chronicle of Laneroost details the ravages committed in Cumberland by 
Alexander the Second, in the same words as those employed by the monk of 
Melrose ; but in turning the folio of his original he has accidentally omitted a 
word, reading— ** non magistri sed ministri malitise," instead of — " non magistri 
militlae, sed ministri malitisD," p. 123 ; thus failing to preserve a monastic playing 
upon words too much in accordance with the taste of the period to be intention- 
ally omitted. It occurs again at p. 246. 

' P. 223. Macpherson, in a note in his copy of the chronicle of Melrose, 
and in his edition of Wyntdtin, vol. ii. p. 471, considers that this metrical chronicle 
is the production of Ailred of Rievaux. Pinkcrton, in his Enquiry into the 
History of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 334. has printed various readings and additions 
from the Bodleian MS. c. iv. 3, which he says is of the thirteenth century ; but 
unless art 17 of the catalogue be added by a later hand, we must conclude that 
the writing is posterior to 1356. 



XVI PBEFACE TO THE CHRONICLE OP MELKOSC. 

and Andquiiies,*' nov in the Advocates' Library.' The extracts id 
the Cottooian vclume, Otho, D. iv., fonneriy belonging to lord 
Burleizh, are wrilien in a hand considerably prior to the year 
1600, and vere made from the original manuscript now in the 
same noble library. A few excerpts, relative to Simon de Mont- 
fort, are amonzst Stowe's Collections in the Harleian Librarv ; ' and 
from some memoranda kept by Sir Robert Cotton, it appears that 
in 1023 he lent the " manuscript chronicle of Melros " to Selden. 
who was tlie first to cite it in print.* As already has been noticed, 
k was transcnbed, under his direction^, for the intended second 
volume of the Englbh historians ; and it is to be regretted that 
this work did not appear, for Selden and T^aysden conducted their 
labours with more care than seems lo Lave been bestowed bv 
Fulman upon his edition. 

{ 20. From what has been advanced, the editor believes that 
the following conclusions have been established : — 

First, That the Cottonian manuscript, Faustina, B. ix., is the 
only ancient copy,* and that all others are transcripts from 
this one original. 
Second, That the first portion, namely, from the commencement 
to about the year 1140, b a compilation from exbting 
histories, and, consequently, is to be used with caution. 
Tliird, That the second portion, namely, from about the year 
1140 to the termination of the volume, b possessed of the 
hio:hest credibilitv, bein^ the testimonv of individuak* who 
lived seldom later than half a century from the occurrence 
of the events which they record. 
§ 21. Two editions of the chronicle of Melrose have been given 
to the public. The first is that to which reference has already so 

• See Robertiion'i lDdex,jD. xlvL ' HarL MS. 247, 37. 

' Hee the PreiAce to the Decern Scriptores, pp. vL xtL xviii xix. 
' It is worthj of remark that the Cottonian Library poeeeesee another manti- 
script which originated in the Scriptorium of Melroee. The volume marked Juliuii» 
B. ^"' contains, besides other matter, a short chronicle^ extending from the birth 
of our Saviour to the year 249. The strongly marked character of the hand- 
irriting, exhibiting itself in the systematic adherence to peculiarities in the use 
and formation of certain letters and symbols, proves, beyond a doubt^ that the 
scribe was the same sa he who commenced the chronicle of Melroee. Had not 
that worthy monk prefaced his labours by an introduction showing the pre- 
determined and satisfactory principle which led him to commence his annals with 
the year 735, the perfect similarity between the two Cottonian manuscripts in 
the size of the vellum, the ntimber of lines in each page, the arrangement of the 
text, and other coincidences, might almost lead to the belief that both these 
manuscripts were originally destined to form but one volume. 

The following extracts are given as a specimen of the early chronology — 
A.D.] m^un. Judei sub Pontio Pilato praeside Christum cruci affigerunt, qui et 
resurgens a mortuis die tertia victor ascendit celoa, die sus ascensionis 
mittens in discipulos Spiritum paraclitum die pentecostes. Apoatoli, 
pnedicaturi verbum Domini per lud^ regionea^ Jacobum fratrem Domini 
leroeolimis ordinant, et vn*^ diaconos. 
XZX<*v. beatissimus Christi prothomartir Stephanus ^ ludeis lapidatur, et 

ecdesia per regiones lud^ et SamarisB despergitur. 
xxx<^. Saulus, qui et Paulus, iter faciens et appropinquans Damasco, 
persecutionem exercem» in Christianos, subito lumine ccelesti territus et 
cecatus, statim uas electionis a Domino eligitur et toto corde ad Do- 
minum convertitur. — fol. 41, b. 
' An instance occur;* a.d. 1222 (pp. 174, 175,) in which the same account, tlie 
death of an abbot of Dundrcnnan, is entered twice, but in different word;}. 



PREFACE TO JORDAN FANTOSME. XV1( 

frequently been made, as forming a part of the Collection of 
English Historians, usually known by the name of the editors. 
Gale and Fell, published at Oxford in 1684.* For all critical 
purposes that edition is, at the present time, valueless. A second 
edition was printed in 1835,* by the editor of the present 
Collection of Historians, for the use of the members of the Banna- 
tyne club of Edinburgh ; but as it was not published for sale, it 
is not easily procured. It is founded upon a careful collection of 
the Cottonian manuscript, and from this source the present trans- 
lation has been made. , 



PREFACE TO JORDAN FANTOSME. 

§ 1. A translation of the curious metrical "Chronicle of 
Jordan Fantosme" next claims the reader's notice. It gives a 
detailed account of the war carried on by William the Lion, king 
of Scotland, against Henry the second, king of England, which 
terminated in the capture of the former, near Alnwick, in North- 
umberland. 

§ 2. The author, Jordan Fantosme,' who frequently mentions 
himself in the course of his poem (see lines 521, 668, 674, 903, 
and 1152), was undoubtedly well acquainted with many of the 
circumstances which he has recorded. Thus (at lines 445 4 49) 
he states that he was an eye-witness of the atrocities perpetrated 
at Wark by the Scottish invaders.* At line 1731, he speaks of his 
information " of his own knowledge." He was undoubtedly 
present at the capture of the Scottish king, for in his minute 
description of that event he takes care to say (line 1774) : " I do 
not relate a fable, as one who has heard say, but as one who was 
there, and I myself saw it. And again we have his statement, 
" with my two eyes I saw it," (line 1810.) In contrast with this, 
he tells us that his account of the siege and capture of Norwich 
was not derived from personal observation (line 896) ; and, on 
another occasion, he thus addresses his readers (line 1910), "As far 
as I know, now hear the truth." 

§ 3. In the midst, however, of this minute personal acquaint- 
ance with his subject, we are struck by obser\Mng that he commits 
the singular geographical blunder of supposing that the town of 
Berwick stands upon the river Tyne (Hues 428, 1186), a mistake 
which would seem to imply that he was not a native of, and had 
not been long a resident in these districts. 

§ 4. The external information which we possess respecting a 
Jordan Fantosme (doubtless the author of the present poem) helps ua 
to a solution of a portion of this difficulty. We learn from some 

» Pp. 135—244. '" 

* ** Chronica de Mailroe, e codice unico in Bibliotheca Cottoniana serrato, nunc 
itemm in lucem edita."— 4 E<linb. 1835. 

' In the Lincoln MS. the spelling is Fantome (lines 521 and 668). 

* See also lines 1159, 1173. 

VOI . IV. '• 



rvni PREFACE TO THE CHRONICLES. 

proceedings in a lawsuit, respecting lands in Hampshire, that in 
A.D. 1160, "magister Jordanus Fantasina" was in the service of 
Henry de Blois, bishop of Winchester, and brother of king Stephen ; 
and it further appears, from a letter addressed to pope Adrian by 
John of Salisbury/ that he was engaged in a dispute with a clerk 
named John Joichel, who, without the permission of Fantasma. 
had opened a school at Winchester. Hence we can understand 
how a foreigner, probably a Norman by birth, and a resident of 
Winchester, should be at fault in his nomenclature of the localities 
of Northumberland. 

§ 35. Two manuscripts of this poem are knowTi to be extant, 
one in the library of the dean and chapter of Durham, the other in 
that of the dean and chapter of Lincoln. Both these copies are of 
the thirteenth century, and they agree very closely together, each 
scribe affording us the means of correcting the errors and supplying 
the omissions of the other. To the late Henry Petrie, Esq., is due 
the merit of having been the first to discover these copies ; but the 
first (and only) edition of the text was given to the world through 
the instrumentality of the Surtees Society, by F. Michel.' This 
edition is accompanied by a translation, which, by the kind per- 
mission of the council of the Surtees Society, has been adopted as 
the basis of this edition. In several instances, however, the Editor 
has ventured to depart from the rendering of M. Michel. The text 
follows the Durham copy, but the variations of that of Lincoln 
have been noticed, whenever they affect the meaning of the 
author. 



PREFACE TO SHORT CHRONICLES OF CANTERBURY 

AND WINCHESTER. 

§ 1. Next follow several documents, which, from their nature, 
require no very minute description. 

"The Catalogue of the Archbishops of Canterbury," from 
A.D. 598 to 1314, is transcribed from the MS. Register of Henry 
de Estrey, prior of Christ's Church. Canterbury, — ^who was elected 
A.D. 1285, and died a.d. 1328. (MS. Cott. Galba, E. iv. fol. 1, b,)— 
a volume of the fourteenth century. The translation is made from 
Wharton's text, (Anglia Sacra, i. 83,) and a few collations have been 
given from two other lists of a similar character, also quoted by 
Wharton, the Cottonian MSS., Julius, D. ii. fol. 1, of the thirteenth 
century, and Vitellius, E. xvii. fol. 225, which extends from a.d. 
699 to 1294, and is of the fourteenth century. 

§ 2. " The Succession of the Archbishops of Canterbury," which 
follows, is printed by Wharton (Anglia Sacra, i. 85) from the 
annals of Rochester, contained in the Cottonian MS., Nero, A. viii. 

> Ep. xix. 0pp. i. 21, ed. Gilee, Oxon. 1848. 

' ''Chronicle of the War between the English and the Scots, in 1178 and 1171. 
By Jordan Fantosme, Spiritual Chancellor of the Diocese of Winchester. Now 
fint published, with a Translation, an Introduction, Notes, and an Appendix, by 
IVmncisque ICichel." 8to. Lond. 1840. 



OP CANTERBURY AND WINCHESTER. XIX 

foL 1, extending from the introduction of Christianity to the year 
1160, shortly after which date this manuscript was written. 

§ 3. " The Dates of the Decease of the Archbishops of Canter- 
bury," from St. Augustine to Henry Deane (who died a.d. 1503), 
is derived from the same collection, (Anglia Sacra, i. 52,) where it 
is printed from a MS. in the archiepiscopal library at Lambeth, 
wntten shortly after the year 1517, and continued to 1538. 

§ 4. " The History of the Archbishops of Canterbury, by Ralph 
de Diceto, from the first foundation of the see to a.d. 1200," 
but continued by another hand to a. d. 1 240, is printed by Wharton, 
(Anglia Sacra, ii. 6770 ^^om the Arundel MS. 220, a manuscript 
in the writing of the fourteenth century. The author was promoted 
to the deanery of London in the year 1181, and held the office in 
1199;' but the exact date of his death is uncertain. Appended to 
this follows, "A notice by Ralph de Diceto of the succession of the 
archbishops of Canterbury, and of the popes from whom they 
received their palls," extending from St. Augustine to Hubert 
Walter, who filled the see from 1193 to 1205. Wharton prints 
this catalogue {Anglia Sacra, i. 87) from two manuscripts in 
Lambeth Library. 

A similar list, to the time of Anselm, follows. It is - translated 
from the Cottonian MS. Tiberius, A. vi., fol. 37, b, where it is 
written in a hand contemporary with its latest entry. The original 
Latin has not been printed. 

§ 5. "A List of the Succession of the Archbishops of Canter- 
bury, by a Canon of Lichfield," from St. Augustine to Simon 
Mepham, a.d. 1333, is printed by Wharton in the same collection 
(Anglia Sacra, i. 89), from a MS. then in his own possession. 

§ 6. " The Annals of the Church of Winchester, from a. d. 633 
to 1277," are derived from the Cottonian MS., Domit., A. xiii., and 
are here translated from two several editions, the former contained 
in the Monasticon Anglicanum of Dugdale and Dodsworth (i. 31), 
the other given by Wharton in the work to which reference has 
so frequency been made already (i. 288). Both these texts consist 
of selections from the Annals, of such portions only as appeared to 
their editors to contain the most important matter. The work 
frequently exhibits indications of being the remarks of a series 
of contemporary writers. The chronology is confused ; the year 
sometimes being reckoned from the first of January, and some- 
times from the twenty-fifth of March. 

" The Names of the Bishops of Winchester '' are transcribed 
from the Cottonian manuscript, Vesp., A. xvi., fol. 13, b, written 
about the beginning of the fourteenth century. 

" The Succession of the Bishops of the Church of Winchester" 
is derived from two manuscripts, one in the Cottonian manuscript, 
Titus, C. xii. fol. 194, written in the sixteenth century, and the 
other in the Harleian collection, 1761, fol. 76, a manuscript of 
the fifteenth century. The additional matter supplied by the latter 
b appended in notes. 

> Le Nere, 11. 307, SOS. Bale and Pits state that he was aliTe In 1210. 



KZ PREFACE TO THE CHRONICIXS. ETC. 

A short •' Chronicle of Winchester " concludes the volume. 
It extends from the introduction of Christianity into Eneland to 
the year 1 140, at which point the greater portion of it was wntten. 
It is here translated from the Cottonian manuscript, Nero, C. vii. 
fol. 218, b. 

Joseph Stevenson. 



* With the exception of the historical poem of Jordan Fantosme, 
none of the documents contained in this volume have hitherto 
appeared in English. 



VxcAiuGz, Leightos Buzzard, 
January, 1S56. 



THE HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OF 
HEXHAM, BY JOHN THE PRIOR. 



VOL. IV. B 



i 



THE HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OF 
HEXHAM, BY JOHN THE PRIOR. 



Here begins the History of Twenty-five Years, by John, 
THE Prior of the Church of Hexham. 

A.D. 1130. Aschetil, the first prior of the church of Hexham, 
died on the fifteenth of the kalends of April [18th March]. By the 
courteous polish of his manners and by his probity, he had ac- 
quired the goodwill of both clergy and laity. Moreover he abun- 
dantly furnished that place, which by hostile ravages had been 
reduced to a desert, with costly buildings, his canons with needful 
supplies, and the convent with becoming appointments. In his 
place archbishop Turstin, in the same year, appointed as treasurer 
of the same place Robert Biseth, who was elected by the brethren ; 
he was an educated man, and one who had been well trained. 

A.D. 1131. King Henry nominated to the bishopric of Hereford 
Robert,' prior of Lantony. Pursuing the regular discipline in the 
canonical profession, he had already made that house a model to 
other estabUshments by the institutes of its rule. In his bishopric 
he also watched with the earnestness of a bishop's anxiety over 
episcopal afiairs, and thus deservedly acquired in the kingdom a 
singular authority and respect of his sacred office. 

A.D. 1132. Walter Espec,' a man great and powerful in the 
sight of the king and of the whole kingdom, received some monks 
of the Cistercian order, sent by Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, and 
placed them in the wilderness of Blackoumore, near the river Rye, 
from which their monastery is called Rievaulx.' With them was 
sent William as their first abbot, a man of exalted virtue, and 
of memory iUustrious with all posterity. Emulating their lofty, 
purpose of an unwonted mode of life, Richard, prior of the convent 
of St. Mary at York, and the elders of the same place, (not without 
the factious opposition of their abbot Galfrid and the monastery,) 
set out on the sixth of the kalends of January [27th Dec.], in the 
same year, and founded the monastery of Fountains^ near Ripon ; 
archbishop Turstin granting them a property. Over this presided, 

' Robert de Betun, consecrated on Sunday, the 28th of Jnne. His Life ia con- 
tained in Wharton's Anglia Sacra. 

> See Dngd. B^tfon. i. 590. * Dugd. Monast L 727, and 738. 

* A long and interesting account of this migration may be seen in Dugd. 
Monast i 735. 

B 2 



4 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. IISS— 

as first abbot, the aforesaid prior Richard, a man of much ex- 
perience in ecclesiastical afiairs. 

A.D. 1133. In the month of August, before the Assumption of 
St. Mary, [15th Aug.,] there were consecrated at York, by arch- 
bishop Turstin, Geoffrey, king Henry's chancellor, to the bishopric 
of Durham ; Aldulf, prior of Nostell, to the city of Carlisle, which 
king Henry had formed into an episcopal see, assigning to it the 
churches of Cumberland and Westmoreland, which adjoined the 
archdeaconry of York. Also king Henry, at the same time, gave 
the bishopric of Ely to Nigel, nephew of Roger, bishop of Salisbury. 
On the third of the nones of the same month of August [3d Aug.], 
an eclipse' of the sun took place for nearly the space of half-an-hour, 
on the twenty-seventh day of the moon, the fourth of the week 
[Wednesday], when king Henry was passing over to Normandy, 
where also he died. 

^ On' the eighth of the ides of October [8th Oct.], a comet was 
visible for about seven days. The greatest part of the city of 
London was destroyed by fire, on the Wednesday in Whitsun- 
week [17th May], in the thirty-third year of the reign of Henry 
king of the English [a. d. 1 133]. On the very day of the anniver- 
sary of the death of this Henry's brother and predecessor William, 
named Rufus, and of Henry's accession to the throne, being the 
fourth of the nones of August [2d Aug.], there occurred a spectacle 
of this sort. When the aforesaid king Henry was staying on 
the coast, with the intention of crossing over, and the wind was 
firequently favourable for the passage ; at length, about noon on the 
day aforesaid, the king had gone to the sea to cross, attended 
in royal manner by his escort of soldiers, there suddenly appeared 
in the air a cloud, which however was not seen to the same extent 
through all England ; for in some places the day seemed rather 
dark, but in others the obscurity was such that under its cover men 
needed the light of a candle to transact business. The king, in 
consequence, and the royal company who were going about, and 
very many others, in astonishment raising their eyes to the sky, 
saw the sun shining like a new moon, which yet did not long 
remain in the same mood; for it sometimes seemed broader, 
sometimes thinner; at one time curved, at another straight; now 
steady as usual, now in motion, stirring and liquid like quicksilver. 
Some assert that an eclipse of the sun took place ; if this be true, 
the sun was then in the head of the dragon and the moon in 
the tail; or the sun in the tail and the moon in the head, in 
the fifth sign — ^that is, Leo — ^in the seventeenth degree of that sign. 
The moon was then twenty-seven days old. Likewise, on the 
same day, when the ships ready for the passage of the said king were 
firmly at anchor at the shore, the sea being very calm, and the 
wind continuing moderate, the great anchors of one ship were torn 
fix)m their moorings as by some sudden violence, and the ship, to 

1 See Williun of Malmeeb. Hist of his own Times, § 8. 

' In Twysden's edition, the foUowing passage relatiye to the year 1188 is erro- 
neously hlended with 1188. It has been considered expedient to assign each 
portion to the period of time to which it actually belongs. 



A.D. 1136.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 5 

the astonishment of many who strove, but were not able, to hold 
it, being put in motion, moved also the vessel next it, and so 
the eight vessels were stirred by an unknown power, and none 
of them remained uninjured. Many also said, that on the same day 
end about the same hour, they saw many churches in the province 
of York bedewed as it were with a great sweat. All these things 
took place, as has been said, on Wednesday, the fourth of the nones 
of August [2d Aug.]. On the sixth day of the same week, namely, 
the first of the nones [4th Aug.] of the same month, early in the 
morning, there was a great earthquake in many parts of England. 
There were also some who said, that on the Monday of the following 
week, namely, the sixth^ of the ides of the same month, when the 
moon was three days old, they saw her at first, as b usual, at that 
age ; but in a short period in the evening of the same day they saw 
her large, in the shape of a round and very glittering shield. Many 
also said, that on that night they saw two moons, the one distant about 
a spear's length from the other. King Henry crossed the sea from 
England into Normandy, from which he did not return home alive. 

A.D. 1134. Robert duke of Normandy died, whom king Henry, 
his brother, had kept in custody to the day of his death. 

A.D. 1135. In the sixty-ninth year after the coming of the Nor- 
mans to England, king Henry, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, 
after eating some lampreys, sickened and died at St. Denis, in a cer- 
tain forest of Normandy called Leuns, on Monday, being the fourth 
of the nones of December [2d Dec.]. He reigned gloriously for 
thirty-five years and four months. His body (as he had directed) was 
brought to England and buried at Reading ; which monastery he 
had himself founded, and furnished it with a convent of monks, 
endowed with a royal munificence of revenues. He founded, also, 
another monastery — namely, Cirencester — four years before his 
death, and provided the regular canons, whom he there established, 
with abundance of all things requisite. Since him has arisen another 
prince, who prohibited unjust taxations of the kingdom, ruled his 
subjects in peace and moderation of wisdom, reverently esteemed 
ecclesiastical persons, and maintained the poor and religious with 
sumptuous alms. At his death forthwith arose wicked men and 
sinners, who cast aside all the rules of justice and peace, and 
violently committed plunderings and slaughters, burnings and other 
enormities. 

A.D. 1136. Stephen, earl of Bologne, king Henry's sister's son, 
brother of Theobald earl of Blob, and of Henry bishop of Winches- 
ter, assumed the diadem of the kingdom on the kalends' of January 
[1st Jan.], William, archbishop of Canterbury, and the whole of 
the clergy and laity of London, consenting to his promotion. In the 
ceremony of his consecration, the giving of the kiss of peace was 
omitted. Spuming his authority, Geoffirey, earl of Anjou (who had 
married Henry's daughter, and by her had an heir named Henry), 
began to create much disturbance in Normandy. David also, king 

' There is some error here, for the Monday of the following week [7th Aug.] 
was the aeventh (not the aixth, aa stated above) of the idea of August 
' Stephen was crowned the 26th of December, 1135. 



€ CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1138. 

of Scotland, the uncle of die same empress, not unmindful of the 
oath which he and the whole of the kingdom had sworn to king 
Henry with regard to his succession, immediately invaded the 
kingdom of England, and very soon gained the fortresses of Cum- 
berland and Northumberland, and overran the adjacent districts 
as far as Durham, with the exception of Bamborough. He received 
also allegiance and security from the more noble, to the effect that 
they would preserve fealty to his niece. King Stephen met him at 
the beginning of Lent,* on the nones of February [5th Feb.], at 
Durham, where he resided for fifteen days. King David also betook 
himself to Newcastle ; and a conference being held between them 
respecting an arrangement, Henry son of the king of Scotland did 
homage to king Stephen at York. Whereupon Doncaster and 
Carlisle were given him as an addition to the honour of Hunting- 
don.' King Deivid restored the other fortresses and lands which he 
held. At the feast of Easter [22d March], king Stephen, in proof 
of the regard which he felt for the same Henry, made him sit 
at hfa right hand ; wherefore William, archbishop of Canterbury, 
and some nobles, together with Ralph, earl of Chester, spoke dis- 
respectfully of the young man, and withdrew themselves from the 
king's court. King David, when his son returned, would not send 
him back to king Stephen. Moreover the Welsh, ravaging the 
frontiers of .England, killed two barons, Richard Fitz- Roger and 
Pain Fitz- John ; nevertheless, they very soon made peace with king 
Stephea Also Ralph, earl of Chester, making an incursion into the 
territories of the Welsh, being surprised by them with five soldiers, 
barely escaped with Ufe, all the others being put to the sword. King 
Stephen also besieged the rebel Baldwin de Redvers in his town of 
Exeter, compelled him to a surrender, and banished him from the 
kingdom. In the same year, pope Innocent, by letters sent from 
the apostolic see, confirmed the same king Stephen in the occupa- 
tion of the kingdom. The king, as directed by the purport of these 
letters, having convoked a general council, ordered good and 
ancient laws and right customs to be observed, and injustices to be 
abolished. There were present at this council, William, archbishop 
of Canterbury; Hugh, archbishop of Rouen; Henry, bishop of 
Winchester; Roger, bishop of Salisbury; Alexander, bishop of 
Lincoln ; Nigel, bishop of Ely; Everjurd, bishop of Norwich ; 
Simon, bishop of Worcester ; Bernard, bishop of St. David's ; 
Audoen, bishop of Evreux ; Richard, bishop of Avranches ; Robert, 
bishop of Hereford ; John, bishop of Rochester ; and Aldulf, bishop 
of Carlisle. In the month of August king Stephen crossed the sea, 
taking alarm at the hostilities of Geoffrey, earl of Anjou. In the 
mon£ of November* of the same year, WiUiam, archbishop of 
Canterbury, died, and was buried in his city. 

A.D. 1137. David, king of Scotland, threatened to devastate 
Northumberland. A multitude of the earls and nobles of England 
speedily assembled at Newcastle to oppose his designs. Also 
Turstin, archbishop of York, although greatly debilitated by old age, 

1 In A.IX 1136, Ash-Wednesday feU on Feb. 4th. 

' See Dugd. Baron, i. 58. * He died the 26ih of Norember. 



A.D.1188.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OP HEXHAM. 7 

conferred with the king of Scotland and his son at Roxburgh, and 
obtained a truce until the return of king Stephen from Normandy. 
Hereupon king Stephen, having made an agreement for two years 
with Geofirey, earl of Anjou, returned to England at the Advent 
of our Lord [28th Nov.]. The ambassadors of the king of Scotland 
came, demanding that Northumberland should be given to his son 
Henry, which king Stephen refusing, the truce was broken off. 

A.D. 1138. That renowned abbey of St. Mary at Bechland * was 
founded and built before the Nativity of our Lord, by the noble- 
man Roger de Mowbray, who endowed it with farms, and estates, 
and great pastures and woods. <> On the fourth of the ides of 
January [10th Jan.], William, son of Duncan, nephew of king 
David, making an inroad before dawn, boldly poured die part of the 
army which he commanded around the town of Wark, and at- 
tempted to storm and carry it. King David coming with a larger 
train with catapults and many engines of war, besi^;ed the town in 
great force for three weeks; but Jordan de Bussey,* the nephew of 
Walter Espec, the commander of the garrison, by the unyielding 
courage of the minds of his men, set at nought and rendered useless 
all the king's endeavours; for they slew the king's Standard-bearer, 
and every day many others. King David, therefore, appointmg some 
to press the siege, sent on William, the son of Duncan, with the Scots 
into Northumberland ; who, coming on the day of th^ Conversion 
of St. Paul [25th Jan.] to the village of Warden, which is in the 
neighbourhood of Hexham, they encamped there with his forces. 
A certain Scot, a powerful and wealthy man in his native land, 
having advanced from the troops with his own men, apparently with 
the intention of marching along the river Tyne to the church 
of Hexham, in the expectation of plunder, the young men of 
Hexham saUied out upon them ; and having put his companions to 
flight, after a fierce resistance, bore him down and pierced him 
through the body. Fierce anger was stirred up, in consequence, 
throughout the whole army of the Scots ; who, on account of his 
slaughter, were hastening to rush upon the church of Hexham, and 
utterly destroy it, with its inhabitants. But William, the son of 
Duncan, anxious for the preservation of the place, recalled them. 
King David followed with his son and his troops, and stopping 
at Corbridge until after the Purification of St. Mary [2d Feb.], did 
not fail to throw the affairs of the province into confusion. Out 
of respect, however, to the dignity and antiquity of the church of 
Hexham, he kept peace with it and all who had taken refuge at it ; 
sending thither five Scots, lest any one should venture to invade it 
with a hostile intention. / It would be incredible were we to nar- 
rate the wicked, infamous, and blasphemous doings of that army of 
Scots against God, and their abuses of humanity itself ; slaughters, 
plunders, and conflagrations everywhere prevailed. These bar- 
barians had no mercy on the infant or the orphan, the aged or the 

* This was tlie Cistercian abbey of Biland in Torkshire. See Dugd. Baron, i 
123 ; Monast i 776. 

» See Dugd. Monast i. 728. Hawise, the eldest daughter of Walter £e>pec, 
marriod William Biissey. 



CHCftCH HUrrORJA3l9 OV CKGLAXD. [a. B. 1138. 



poor ; they np^rtd neither sex. a^, or rank, nor any decree or 
profesnion ; thev cnt to pieces women with child ; and, bavin^sfaun 
ail the males, they next drove off in leangs to Scotland, under tiie 
yoke of slatrery, the Tirtdns and widiows, naked and boand with 
cordfl. NevertheleM, the kin^ as often as they fell to him as 
a fthare of the spoil, restored them to Robert, prior of Hexham, in 
token of their freedom. The Scots also broke into the sanctuaries 
of the Lord, and profanely perpetrated violence, obscenity, and 
abominations in the consecrated places. Two of them having 
broken open the door of the oratory of St. Midiael, on the north side 
of the Tyne, carried off what they found. This churdi adjoins the 
church of Hexham. These men, continoally possessed by fiends, 
when they were ramUine before the army throi^ inaccessible places, 
both perished miseraUy; the one breaking his bones among the 
rocks, the other being drowned in the fords of the river Tyne. They 
afterwards pnnraed across the Tyne the inhabitants of the district, 
who had fled into the desert places ; and rashing upon a multitude of 
the whole province, who were in quiet and security at the place called 
Tanfield, they butchered them all, and carried away abundant spoil. 
The kin^i^, at length, returned with his men to hb own country; and 
king Stephen coming in Lent' with a force of military to Wark, 
ordere<l his men to slaughter and make havoc on the land of the 
king of Scotland. But king David, having placed himself and his 
men at no great distance within a marsh (which was of very limited 
extent, and wholly inaccessible all around except by an intricate 

(Atli), ordered the citizens of Roxburgh boldly to admit the king of 
England within the city if he should approach ; for he watched for 
the opportunity of assailing him by night, being confident that 
he would have as allies in this preconcerted plot many of the nobles 
of the Knglish army, who had clandestinely stirred him up to the 
contest, nut notice of the snare was given to king Stephen, who, 
nri^paring to return in displeasure, compelled Eustace ' to resign 
into his hand the fortress of^Bamborough, and hastily marched back 
into Kf Inland. 

AftiT th« ri*lcbration of Raster week,' king David of Scotland 
AKniri ronfhirtcd nn ex|)edition into Northumberland, and destroyed 
nil tlin pliirrs aJKiut the coast which had escaped the former inroad. 
I In mlvnrirrd rvon as far as Newcastle, and sent forward his troops 
to roinrnit rrurliics mid hostilities about Durham, and as far as the 
TiM'N. Tlirnrci iimking a diversion to the bishop of Durham's castle 
Nt Norliitin. ha rnusod it to bo besieged, and soon compelled the 
(ownNtneti to Nurrrndcr it. and ordered the town itself to be de- 
MrfiytMJ. Mrnnwhilc, William, son of Duncan, as he was slaying 
mill ritvnginu about (Mithcroo, encountered an array of English 
mililiory. wlnrh mot him in four bands. Putting them to flight by 
\\\v niprgy of his first attack, he put them to the sword, and bore 
off nnioli iMioty wnd « nunilH»r of prisoners. This fight between the 
KtiKliiili. tlio I Vtn. nnd the Scots, took place at Clitheroe, on Friday. 

* Adtt WmliiiimlA)* foil \\\\m\\ ih«« Kith of Fcbniary in thiB 

* Niiin««|y, Kuntntv KiiRJolin. Hch> tho m^xt )H\ge. 
' KAdtiTHuiuUy «HVUiitHl on tlio M of April. 



A.D. 1188.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OP HEXHAM. ' 9 

the fifteenth day before the Nativity of St. John the Baptist [10th 
June], in the aforesaid year, namely, eleven hundred and thirty-eight. 

After these incidents, the soldiers made a sally from Wark, and 
seized the king's servants and carriages with provisions, driving 
them into the town. But also making an attack upon the king's 
son Henry, and his escort, they killed some, and some they wounded 
or carried off for ransom. The king, annoyed at this, punished 
them by a renewal of the siege, destroying their crops in me fields, 
and cutting off all relief. He was able wholly to reduce them only 
by want of provisions; for, compelled by this need, at the command 
of their lord, Walter Espec, about the feast of St. Martin [11th 
Nov.], they surrendered the town, through the agency of the lord 
William, the first abbot of Reivaux ; there was found in it nothing 
left to eat, except one live horse and another in salt. The king 
bestowed on them twenty-four horses, and dismissed them in free- 
dom with their arms ; but the town he utterly destroyed. 

In the same year, and at the same period, namely, in autumn, 
king David, having imited his forces, directed his march into York- 
shire; having in the meanwhile sent two of his barons, with a 
number of men, to besiege Wark. Eustace Fitz-John, from whom 
king Stephen had taken Bamborough, joined him with his troop of 
soldiers, as an ally. This man had in Northumberland a very strong 
castle at Alnwick, and another in Yorkshire, namely, Malton. They 
marched, therefore, by Bamborough ; and the young men of this 
place, rashly presuming on the strength of the wall which they had 
built before the castle, annoyed with taunts the Scots as they 
passed by. TTie Scots, provoked in temper, forthwith set them- 
selves to the destruction of the wall, and, speedily breaking in, killed 
all on whom they laid hands. 

At that time, archbishop Turstin, of sacred memory, presided 
over the church of York — a man of unyielding firmness of mind, in 
pro^rity or adversity, advanced in years and feeble in body, so 
that he had to be carried on a litter wherever the pressure of affairs 
demanded. He called out the nobles of Yorkshire, and, by the 
watchfulness of his pastoral care, he stirred them up to a steady 
resistance. There came also Bernard de Baliol, a man well skilled 
in military tactics, bringing with him soldiers sent by king Stephen 
to this undertaking. Gathering, therefore, great courage from their 
joint deliberation, they mutually bound diemselves by oaths to 
firmness and assurance. Having, therefore, sought the favour of 
God by a three days' fast and by alms, and being strengthened by 
the archbishop's absolution and blessing, all, animated by one pur- 
pose of mind, advanced to the town of Thirsk. Thence Robert de 
Bruce and Bernard de Baliol went to the king of Scotland, on the 
Tees, promising his son Henry the earldom of Northumberland, 
and exhorting him to cease from this invasion. The king refused 
to acquiesce. Robert, therefore, absolved himself from the homage 
which he had done him for the barony which he held of him in 
Galloway, and Bernard from the fealty which he had formerly 
promised ; and so they returned to their comrades. They all, 
marching to Northallerton, erected in a certain plain belonging to 



10 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [aJX 1188. 

the franchise of St. Cuthbert, the standard — ^that is, a ship's mast — 
hanging over them the banner of St. Peter and St. John of Beverley, 
and St. Wilfrid of Ripon; and they placed over them the Body 
of the Lord, to be their standard-bearer and the leader of their 
battle. Archbishop Turstin then sent with them Ralph Novellus, 
his sufiragan bishop,' and other men qualified to receive their con- 
fession, and to build them up by means of satisfaction in the hope 
of a future Hfe. The archbishop himself, prudently withdrawn by 
the chiefs from this march to battle, was with his clergy instant in 
prayers and supplications, in much affliction and sorrow of heart, 
until it was told him how great a deliverance God vouchsafed to his 
people. So, then, on the octave of the assumption of St. Mary, 
being Monday, the eleventh of the kalends of September [22d Aug.], 
the whole army assembled round the standard, the horses having 
been sent to a distance, lest any one should conceive the thought 
of flight, all with one impulse determining to die or conquer for 
their country. These were the chiefs who were most eminent in 
rank and dignity : — William de Albemarle, earl Walter de Gant, 
Robert de Bruce, Roger de Mowbray, Walter Espec, William de 
Percy, Bernard de Baliol, Richard de Courcy, William Fossard, 
Robert de Stuthaville, Ilbert de Lacy. This man, and his father 
Robert de Lacy, had been banished by king Henry from the king- 
dom of England. After the king's death, a certain soldier of that 
barony, named Pain, slew William Transversus, who by the king's 
gift had obtained possession of the barony of Pontefract,' and this 
Ilbert took possession of the barony by right of inheritance. There 
were present also with their troops, William Peverel, from the 
county of Nottingham; and Robert de Ferrers, from Derbyshire; 
and Geoffrey Halsalin. 

TTie king of Scotland now advanced with his troops in battle 
array, the Scots being disposed in the first line; they, to a man, 
demanding for themselves this position, for the honour of their 
country. Naked, and almost unarmed, these men advanced against 
battalions clad in mail, and thereby rendered invulnerable. Around 
the king were placed men who had attadned the order of knighthood, 
girt with their weapons of war. The king believed that his bond 
required him to conquer or die, out of regard to the oath which he 
had sworn to the heirs of king Henry, and the whole of England 
with him. The Scots and the Picts with difficulty resisted from the 
first hour of the commencement of the conflict to the third ; for 
they found themselves pierced and destroyed by arrows, over- 
whelmed, and overthrown. They all stole away from the field, 
casting away their baggage ; and, in scorn of this affair, that place 
was called Bagmoor. Soon the firmness of the rest of the army 
was shaken and weakened. The chiefs, therefore, induced the king 
to call in the horses, and march off with his ranks unbroken, lest 

' He was bishop of the Orkney Islands, oyer which, at this time, the archbishop 
of York claimed ecclesiastical jurisdiction. See Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 219, 
ed. 1824. 

' See Dugd. Baron, i. 99, and the account of the same occurrence given after- 
wards by Richard of Hexham. 



A.I>. 1138.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OP HEXHAlf. 11 

he, too« should perish with his men. The army of York did not 
pursue the fugitives, but each man hastened to return to his own 
place. Very many of the Scots, straggling in ignorance of the 
locality, were put to death wherever they were found. Moreover, 
the very ranks of the Scots and Picts, when they encountered each 
other in their retreat, striving in useless enmity, destroyed them- 
selves. The king, therefore, having regained his kingdom, fined the 
Scots and Picts, whom he summoned to his presence, in a large 
sum of money, and received hostages and oaths from them, that in 
every conflict and danger they would faithfully stand by him and 
for him. The king of England ako, elated with these triumphs of 
his, made WiUiam de Albemarle earl in Yorkshire, and Robert de 
Ferrers earl in Derbyshire. 

In the same^ year died Peter Leo,* who having been by his own 
procuring invested by certain persons in the city as pope, out of 
hostiUty to pope Innocent, was for eight years an incubus on the 
Roman Church. Innocent truly held rank by free authority over 
the city, as he had formerly done over the circuit of the church's 
monarchy. He also, by a general decree, deposed all the partakers 
in the schism of Peter Leo from all ecclesiastical order and rank, 
and forbad, under anathema, that any one in future should, by 
similar presumption, usurp the apostolic see. By the same pope 
there was sent as legate to England and Scotland, Albericus, bishop 
of Ostia, by birth a Gaul, by profession a monk of Clugny, and 
who had in that convent been appointed over all the monks in the 
office of sub-prior, to administer the observances of their rule ; a 
man endowed with surpassing virtue and abundance of learning. 
Coming to England, he took as assistants in his duty, Robert, 
bishop of Hereford, and Richard, the first abbot of Fountains. 
And in his route to the king of Scotland he was reverently received 
by the brethren of the church of Hexham, and with him bishop 
Aldulf. Three days before he arrived at that place, Eadgar, son of 
earl Cospatric, widi a band of followers, had sallied from the camp 
of the king of Scotland, seizing plunder from a certain village of 
the territory of Hexham. They had also attacked a certain village 
belongmg to the brethren of Hexham ; and having kiUed three of 
their men and seized the spoil of that village, they dishonoured 
the prior of Hexham, who chanced to be there that night, by 
insults and mockery. The l^te, with a mind fully sympathising 
on account of this wrong, remonstrated with the king at Carlisle, 
and prevailed on the royal conscience to make amends for this 
violence. Then for three days, with the bishops and nobles of the 
kingdom of Scotland, who by the king's order had met him there, 
he corrected what needed correction, and decreed what ought to 
be decreed. He obtained for bishop Aldulf a friendly reception 
into the favour of the same king, and to his see of CarUsle. He 
recalled by apostolic authority John, bishop of Glasgow, who, 
laying aside his episcopal office, had given himself up to the 

' The narratiye of events which occurred in the year 1188 is here continned, 
after the passage relative to a.d. 1133, concerning which see p. 4, note ^ 
' Anaclete the antipope died 25th January, 1138. See Pagi ad ul § 1. 



12 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. 11S8. 

monkish profession at Tiron.* He made also the Scots and Picts 
yield to him in this matter, that after the feast of St. Martin 
[1 1th Nov.] they should bring back all their prisoners to Carlisle and 
give them their freedom, and that none of them should again dare 
to violate churches, or commit slaughter on the female sex, on 
boys, or old men. Throwing himseff at the feet of this king, he 
forced him to cease from hostility till the feast of St. Martin. 
Having disposed of these matters, he returned on the feast of 
St. Michael [29th Sept.] to the church of Hexham, and then he 
set out for the south of England. The whole of Northumberland 
indeed was uncultivated and reduced to a desert, for as many as 
survived had either sought asylum in the monasteries or were 
lurking in the wilds ; the stronger ones had shut themselves up 
within the towns. Therefore, by authority of the apostolic order, 
on the feast of St. Nicholas [6th Dec], the bishops, abbots, and 
nobles of the kingdom met the same legate, Alberic, at London,'^ 
in Westminster, in the ninth year of the pontificate of pope 
Innocent, and the third of the reign of king Stephen ; the church 
of Canterbury was vacant, and the lord Turstin, archbishop of 
York, being enfeebled, sent his dean William in his stead. The 
legate, prohibiting what should be prohibited, and enacting what 
the nature of the requirements of the church demanded to be 
enacted, summoned them to appear at Rome, before the lord pope, 
at mid- Lent. Having deposed also the abbot of Croyland, he con- 
secrated as abbots, Godfrey, prior of St. Albans, in his place, and 
Adam elect to Battle, near Hastings. The matter of the election 
to the church of Canterbury was also agitated, the elect of which 
church, namely, Theobald, abbot of Bee, he consecrated archbishop 
over that see about the Epiphany of our Lord [6th Jan.]. He also 
besought, with much entreaty, the king of England, respecting the 
renewal of a peace with the king of Scotland. Matilda, queen of 
the English, lent her aid to his wishes by her private entreaties, 
being by no means indifferent to the preservation of peace between 
her husband and the king of Scotland, her uncle ; for king David 
had two sisters, Mary and Matilda : the latter married king Henry; 
Mary, the earl of Bologne had taken in marriage, and of her begat 
this Matilda, his heiress. But king Stephen took her for his wife 
with the earldom of Bologne; he had of her sons Eustace and 
William, who by an early death deceased without children. 

In the same year a certain nobleman' in Northumberland re- 
ceived on his property, at the castle called Morpeth, on the nones 
of January [5th Jan.], eight monks of Fountains, who built the 
monastery called Newminster: for whom, on the ^east of Epi- 
phany in this year, Geoffrey, bishop of Durham, consecrated as 
abbot the holy man Robert. Them the aforesaid man, namely, 
Ralph de Meriey, gladly favoured. 

' See Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 231. 

^ The history of this council is given more fully by Gervase of Canterbury, colL 
1346, 1347, seq., where its proceedings are preserved. See also Johnson's Canons, 
ii. 42. 

* Namely, Ralph de Meriey, afterwards mentioned. See Dugd. Monast i. 800. 



A.D. 1189.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OP HEXHAM. 13 

A.D. 1139. The aforesaid legate, Alberic, returned after the 
octave of the Epiphany [13th Jan.], accompanied on his journey 
to Rome by Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury (who went for the 
pall), the bishop of Rochester, Simon of Worcester, Roger of 
Coventry, and Robert of Exeter. The king held the other bishop 
excused from this journey, on account of the disturbances which 
were arising everywhere throughout the kingdom. At the instance 
of the queen of the English, a truce was agreed upon between the 
two kings ; Henry, son of the king of Scotland, receiving at Durham 
the earldom of Northumberland. This agreement was confirmed 
by the queen and Henry, son of the king of Scotland, on the fiftli 
of the ides of April [9th April], before the eark and barons of 
England, hostages being given by the Scots in token of their fidelity. 
Earl Henry went with the queen to the king at Nottingham ; and 
as he attended him during the summer, he made munificent pre- 
sents. He also took to wife Ada, sister of William earl of Warren, 
and Walaran earl of Mellent, and Robert earl of Leicester ; and 
by her he had these sons, Malcolm, William, and David. Arch- 
bishop Theobald, having returned with his sufiragans from the 
sovereign pope, Henry, bishop of Winchester, was appointed legate 
of the apostolic see. There died at Rome a man of approved 
virtue, Richard, first abbot of Fountains, whom archbishop Turstin 
had sent as his legate to the pope. Also Audoenus,^ bishop of 
Evreux, brother of the same ardibishop Turstin, died and was 
buried at Merton, having taken the habit of the canons. Walter 
of Gant, and Robert de Ferrers, ako died. It happened the same 
year that Roger, bishop of Salisbury, Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, 
and Nigel, bishop of Ely, nephews of the same Roger, met at the 
king's court ; and a tumult having arisen, the servants of the bishop, 
among the rest of the mob, cut down a certain nephew of Alan, 
earl of Richmond, who afterwards died. In consequence of this, 
the same earl laid an accusation before the king against the bishops, 
that the disturbance was raised by their faction in a plot against 
the king's safety. Bishop Nigel speedily escaped from the court 
by a clandestine flight to his fortresses ; and the king felt all the 
more excited to revenge himself upon bishops Roger and Alexander, 
whom he compelled (by totaUy depriving them of food) to sur- 
render their castles, with the abundant treasures which they laid 
up in them. But, besides this, he irreverently committed other 
unworthy deeds against them, contrary to the dignity of the epi- 
scopal rank. And it came to pass at that time, tibat the laity rose 
to great disobedience and insolence towards the holy church and 
ecclesiastical persons ; whereupon the l^ate Henry assembled at 
Winchester archbishop Theobald and the bishops of England, along 
with such others as were earnest about the Christian faith, about 
the month of September, and decreed enactments extremely neces- 
sary and very useful in all ages. For by these, even to the present 
day, ecclesiastical severity is effectually brought to bear upon those 
persons who either wickedly employ their hands in injuring the 
clergy, or plunder the property of the church, whether they lie 

' A iketch of his life may be seen in GaU. Christ, xi. 578. 



14 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D.11S9-^ 

under excommunication or die in it, since, by the promulgation of 
these decrees, the insolence of the multitude and the presumption 
of the rebeUious spirit were taught to submit and respect the sanc- 
tuary of the Lord. 

TTie same year died Roger, bishop of Salisbury, whose son, the 
king's chancellor, the king, out of enmity to the father, had banished 
from the kingdom. Thus at last the glory of former circumstances 
was brought low in him at whose will, in die days of king Henry, all 
the business of the kingdom had been conducted; for, being second 
only to the king, he was exalted above all the judges and princes in 
the kingdom. Joselin, archdeacon of Winchester, succeeded him in 
the see of Salisbury. And it came to pass, that the empress Alice, 
daughter of king Henry, and wife of Geoffirey, earl of Anjou, having 
landed in England, king Stephen speedily besi^d her in a certain 
castle, and compelled her to surrender; but, out of an indiscreet 
simplicity of mind, he allowed her to go free to Bristol : her brother, 
earl Robert, took up her cause, and the soldiers who were in the 
fortresses — namely, Gloucester, and Milo, in Hereford, and Brien 
Fitz-Count, in Wallii^ord, with the neighbouring population — 
favoured her undertaking. By her means arose a great cUsturbance 
in England, and the stability of king Stephen's reign was shaken. 

A.D. 1140. Archbishop Turstin of blessed memory, worn out 
with old age, and broken down with long labours, felt that the dis- 
solution of his body was at hand. For having been appointed to 
the government of the church of York in the year one thousand 
one hundred and fourteen, on the Assumption of St. Mary [15th 
Aug.], he had boldly fought the good fight for it, had perseveringly 
kept the faith, had victoriously finished his course ; since he was 
harassed by the king with no slight hostilities on account of his 
refusal to make the profession to the prelates of Canterbury, 
choosing rather to renounce his election than to impair the ancient 
liberty of his church.* Departing from the king's presence, he 
acquired among foreign nations a large body of friends, namely, 
nobles and women of rank, who dutifully aided him in his sojourn 
abroad. Amongst and before whom, bound to him by a greater 
devotion of mind, was Adela, countess of Chartres, the sister of king 
Henry, and mother of king Stephen and earl Theobald. 

A.D. 1141.' Pope CaUxtus held a coimcil at Rheims, on the 
thirteenth of the kalends of November [19th Oct.]. The Lord was 
with the aforesaid Turstin, whence also he evaded all the endeavours 
which his enemies made against him, by obtaining a sounder sen- 
tence; since the pope, at the intercession of the cardinals, con- 
firmed him in his archbishopric by a solemn consecration, and by 
giving him a free pall ; he also entirely disregarded the opposition 
of the king, and all the outcry of the people of Canterbury. Having 
also given him privileges to the extent of his wishes, he forbad, in 
future, the archbishop of Canterbury to demand, or the archbishop 
of York to make, the profession. 

> See Simeon of Durham's Hiatoiy of the Emgs, a.d. 1119, p. 698. 

' The biographical notice of archbiahop Thnntan is here continued imder the 
year 1141 ; the Coimcil of Rheims was held A.D. 1119. See Labb. ConciL x. 862, 
and Simeon ad an. 



A.D. 1141.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. l5 

In the year one thousand one hundred and twenty-one, the 
sovereign pope's epistle was sent to the king, and to Ralph, arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, that no one should celebrate the service of 
the divine ministry in the churches of Canterbury and York, or in 
the parishes adjoining them (except baptism of infants and the 
shriving of the dying), unless within one month after the receipt of 
this epistle Turstin should be received into the see of York, without 
the exaction of the profession. He was in consequence very soon 
recalled to England by the king, and solemnly enthroned in his 
church. When he was admitted, to mark the contempt in which 
he held his rank, he laid aside nothing of the discipline of a holy 
life and a fixed resolution of mind; for in food and clothing, and 
the other monastic usages, he in all respects exhibited moderation 
in his episcopal dignity. In distributing alms and benevolence to 
the poor in the days of his ministry, rarely was there found one like 
him. He was also frequent in prayers, and had from God the 
grace of tears in the celebration of masses. This man wore a shirt 
of hair-cloth, and amid frequent confessions did not spare himself 
from corporal castigation. His daily anxiety was the care of souls; 
he preferred disciplined and learned men to ecclesiastical offices; 
he placed the disposal of the affairs of the church in their hands; 
by his pastoral zeal he cut off the allurements of the wicked; he 
was cheerful in hospitality, placable with uprightness towards the 
submissive, severe without iiJiumanity towaids the rebellious. Two 
years before his election, he endowed the church of Hexham, which 
was founded on the principles of the regular order, with lands, 
possessions, and great offerings, advancing it to a good position 
in the divine service. He also watched over the monks of the 
monastery of Fountains, of which he was the founder, with similar 
munificent care. In the church of York, and other churches, there 
are held in great reverence, in memory of him, the treasured 
offerings, precious and numerous, which he with a bountiful hand 
bestowed upon them. He so ordered his men and his house in 
quiet peace and abundance of necessaries, — so preserved the Uber- 
ties, dignities, and privileges of churches and ecclesiastical persons, 
and carried them on to daily religious improvement, — ^tliat one 
would certainly say that the divine wisdom co-operated with him. 
Few are there in these days who with such regard cherish religious 
persons, promote them to benefices, constancy supply necessitous 
places with sumptuous alms. Feeling, then, that the vigour of life 
was growing weak in him, he wisely set his house in order, papng 
his servants' wages, restoring what had been taken away, and 
taking thought with skilful management about each separate matter. 
Having assembled in his chapel the priests of the church of York, 
and solemnly made confession before them, he stretched himself 
naked on the ground before the altar of St. Andrew, and received 
from them the discipline of corporal chastisement, with tears flow- 
ing from a contrite heart; and, mindful of the vow which, as a 
young man, he had made at Clugny, he went to the monks of the 
Clugniac order at Pontefract, the elders of the church of York and 
many of the laity accompanying him; and on the feast of the 



16 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.D. 1141. 

Conversion of St. Paul [25th Jan.], he solemnly received the habit 
and benediction of a monk; and during the remaining days of his 
life, he was intent on the salvation of his soul. In the year, then, of 
our Lord's incarnation one thousand one hundred and forty, (being 
the %eventy-fifth from the coming of the Normans to England, the 
fifth of the reign of Stephen, the twenty-fifth year and sixth month 
of his archiepiscopate,) on Thursday, the eighth of the ides of 
February [6th Feb.], surrounded by the principal persons of the 
church of York and other reUgious men, as the hour of his sum- 
mons drew near, he himself celebrated nine vigils for the departed, 
and himself read the lesson, gave the verse of die response, " Dies 
iUa, dies irae," laying a mournful and significant emphasis on each 
^ord, and at the end of lauds, the monks being all assembled at 
prayer, he yielded up his spirit. He was buried with becoming 
honour, before the high altar, in the church of St. John the Evan- 
gelist. Some days after this he appeared, duly arrayed in his pon- 
tifical robes, to one of his archdeacons, Geofrey Turcople,^ a man 
of well-known attainments in scholastic learning, as he was reposing 
in slumber; and on his asking, " Is there not hope of my salvation, 
my father ? " he answered him in these words : 

" Life in the flesh was death ; but being freed 
From fleshly trammels, blest I live indeed.'* 

Many years afterwards, the monks wishing to make some repairs 
near the place of his interment, the stone placed over it was 
removed, when no appearance of corruption was found either in 
his corpse or his vestments. After his death, forthwith sprang up 
the insolence and roving licence of unrestrained disputes, shameless 
contempt of the clergy, irreverence of the laity towards ecclesias- 
tical laws and persons ; the solidity of the kingdom was destroyed, 
because each man's will was his law. 

In the same year, earl Henry * went with his wife to the king of 
England. Ralph, earl of Chester, rose in hostility against him, on 
account of Carlisle and Cumberland, which he claimed as his own 
by right of inheritance, and he endeavoured with an armed force to 
entrap him on his return. But the king, instigated by the queen's 
entreaties, restored him to his father and his country, having 
secured him from the threatened danger; and this hostility was 
transferred to plots against the king's safety: for earl Ralph seized 
all the fortifications of Lincoln. Earl Alan,' in a stealthy night- 
attack, scaling the wall, stormed with his men the fortress of 
Galcluit,^ and seized that castle, with its abundant treasure, having 
driven out William de Albany,* with his men. The same Alan, 

^ Oeofficejf provost of Beverley, occurs in 1176 (R. de Diceto, col. 589) as arch- 
deacon of the West Riding of York ; but whether he was the same person as 
GeofiFrey Turcople, is uncertain. See EEardy's Le Neve, iiL 131. 

' Heniy, eaA of Huntingdon, son of David, king of Scotland. 

' Alan, earl of Brittany and Richmond, concerning whom see Dugd. Baron, i. 49. 

* Dugdale (Baron. L 49) understands John of Hexham as meaning that this 
castle of Galcluit formed one of the outworks of the castle of Lincoln; but such 
is evidently not the meaning of this author. 

» Dugd. Baron. L 113. 



▲.D. 1142.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 17 

earl of Richmond, fortified a camp at Houghton/ in the land of the 
bishop of Durham; and his hand was raised against Ripon, and 
the men of that place. For he and other powerful men carried off 
whatever necessaries archbishop Turstin had kept stored in bams 
and other places for his successor, according as each man bordered 
on the arcniepiscopal lands. 

A.D. 1142. After the death of archbishop Turstin, the clergy of 
York were for a whole year, according to the impulse of their heart, 
driven about in various and unsettled opinions about making an 
election. At the persuasion of the l^te, Henry of Winchester 
they had chosen king Stephen's nephew, Henry de Coilli;' but as 
he presided over the abbey of Caen, the sovereign pontiff would not 
appoint him to the archbishopric, unless he would resign the former 
dignity. Again proceeding to an election in the month of January, 
most of them agreed on the person of William,* the treasurer. 
William,* earl of York, was present, being anxious for his pro- 
motion. And at the same hour there appeared above them in the 
air a large sign of the cross extended over the length and breadth 
of the church of St. Peter. Opposed to this election was master 
Walter, archdeacon of London, with his brother archdeacons; the 
same earl waylaid him, as he was on his way to the king, and shut 
him up in his castle of Biham; and so the bishop elect, having 
been brought to Lincoln, 'the king gladly received him, and con- 
firmed him in the lands and possessions of York. 

In this same month of January, Ralph, earl of Chester, having 
formed a conspiracy with his companions at Lincoln, obstinately 
determined on harassing the king's kingdom. (An earthquake had 
been thrice heard in tiie same city after Christmas-day.) This 
conspiracy very speedily became known to king Stephen, who 
appeared quickly and unexpectedly, and laid siege to the earl. 
Tlie earl sallied by night from the fortress in which he was block- 
aded, and went to Robert, earl of Gloucester, whose daughter he 
had married, and him also he drew over to his own side, as well as 
the family of the empress and the Welsh. The nobles urged the 
king to levy an army, declaring that they had assembled, unarmed, 
to confer with the king, and not to engage in battle. The king 
was scornful, exclaiming, that those cowardly boys would never 
attempt any such thing against him ; for he was cajoled by the 
speciousness of the young earls, who in speech favoured the King, 
but by counsel and aid supported the forces of his adversaries. 

On the Purification of St. Mary [2d Feb.], there came up in 
strong force Robert,- earl of Gloucester, Ralph, earl of Chester, 
and his brother William de Romar ; Robert was the leader and 
conductor of the battle. The king also led out his allies to the 
combat. Before the commencement of the fight, Alan, earl of 
Richmond, abandoned the king and the battle ; William,* earl of 

' Sherif Hutton, in Torkahire, then p«rt of the poBseesionB of the biahop of 
Durham. 

> Called also Henry de Sodle and Henry de Crilli. See Oallia Chriat. zL 425. 

' William Fitzheibert. See Hardy's Le Neye, ilL 99. 

^ This was William de Albemarle. See Dugd. Baron, i. 62. 

* This ia confirmed by Ordericus Vitalis, cited in Dngd. Baron. L 75. 

VOL. IV. C 



18 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.D.1142. 

York, placed the king in peril by deserting from the field. The 
enemy, deriving encouragement from this, slaughtered those who 
stood firm ; Bernard de BaUol, Roger de Mowbray, Richard de 
Courcy, William Fossart, William Peverel, WiUiam Clerfeith, and 
many others, were taken prisoners. Many being slain, all were at 
length overthrown, as also Waleran, earl of Mellent. The king 
stood in the fight like a lion, the bravest of the brave, fearing the 
attack of no one. He cut down all who encountered him, until 
his sword was shattered in his hand ; but a certain citizen of Lin- 
coln supplied him with a Danish axe. It is not easy to tell with 
what a spirit of bravery he pressed on the enemy. He at length 

Erceived that almost all his comrades being scattered, he would be 
t alone, yet no one ventured to lay hands on him to take him. 
Earl Ralph, who was desirous of making an attack on him, he 
struck on the head with his axe, and, bringing him on his knees to 
the ground, taught him to be more careful for the future. At his 
own suggestion, earl Robert, his kinsman, the son of king Henry, 
was called, to whom the king himself consented to make surrender 
of his person. He was then brought to Bristol, and placed in con- 
finement. William de Clerfeith cleverly escaping from the hands 
of earl Ralph, betook himself to his castle of Tickhill, and by 
constant alarums harassed that earl and his company. After this 
the same earl compelled Gilbert de Gant, a youth who was taken 
prisoner with the king, to marry his niece. Earl Ralph seized 
Alan, earl of Richmond, when summoned to a conference with 
him, and compelled him by great distress of famine to surrender to 
him the castle of Galdiut* and the treasure stored in it, and inflicted 
upon him other injuries. The empress Adela deprived William 
Peverel of the casUe of Nottingham, and placed in it as warden 
William Painel, with his troops. Other men of eminence, who were 
taken with the king, she released, an agreement for their ransom 
having been made. Hie greatest portion of the kingdom submitted 
to her, the legate Henry and archbishop Theobald acknowledging the 
government of the said empress ; as did also the cities of London 
and Winchester. 

The see of London becoming vacant, Robert deSigillo, who had been 
king Henry's chancellor, then a monk of Reading, a good man, was 
called to the administration of that see, which was to its advantage. 

After Blister died Geofirey,' bishop of Durham. His relatives 
concealing this event, had him disembowelled, and sprinkled and 
steeped in salt, and so they kept him unburied until (acting upon 
the authority of David, king of Scotland) they admitted within the 
fortress of Durham WiUiam Cumin, chancellor of the said king. 
For the said William had been a clerk and pupil of this bishop 
Geoffirey, in the court of king Henry. 

King David, seeing that many things concurred to the advance- 
ment of the empress, his niece, after our Lord's ascension [28th 
May], proceeded to join her in the south of England. Coming to 
Durham, he was admitted into the town, where he ordered that 
everything should be reserved for the decision of the empress, and 

^ See pw IS, note * * Compare Simeon's History, p. 718. 



iuD. 1142.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 19 

in the meanwhile that William Cumin should undertake the charge 
of affairs. The king then came to his niece, and got most of the 
nobles to agree with him, that she should be elevated to the rule of 
the whole kingdom. But she, far from following the king's coun- 
sel, elated by woman's levity, assumed a majestic haughtiness of 
demeanour, and so she provoked the nobles by arrogant denun- 
ciations ; she also declared that she would deal severely with king 
Stephen. On this account the l^te Henry, bishop of Win- 
chester, king Stephen's brother, deserted from her, and very many 
were excited to enmity against her. Also the citizens of London 
drove her from the city, and very great disturbance arose in the 
kingdom, from dissensions between those who held for the empress 
and those who abjured h^r. WiUiam de Ypres, a Fleming, governed 
the household of king Stephen, and Pharamus,' a nephew of queen 
Matilda, who also was a native of Boulogne. The queen made 
supplication to all, importuned all with prayers, promises, and fair 
wonls for the deliverance of her husband. And God resbted the 
proud, and gave grace to the humble. For the empress having 
collected her forces, went up with the king of Scotland and earl 
Robert to Winchester, she having heard that her soldiers who were 
besi^ed in the royal fortress, had been vanquished by the troops of 
the legate who were within its walls. The queen, advancing with 
her forces, laid si^e to them. And in this adventure she obtained 
the aid of the legate Henry, and the Londoners, and a great num- 
ber of the nobles of the kingdom, who assembled from day to day, 
with whom also was Ralph, earl of Chester. Against these there 
was raised a murmuring of those in the army, who dreaded some 
treachery. He therefore went over to the besieged ; but the siege 
being continued for a long period, the multitude were oppressed by 
famine. Two hundred soldiers were then sent out with Robert, 
natural son of Eda,' and king Henry, and John Marshal,' in 
order to convey into the city those who were bringing provisions 
for the service of the empress and the besieged. William de Ypres 
and a portion of the army pursuing them to Warewell (where is 
a convent of nuns), seized both the troops and the whole store, 
which was abundant. Tidings of those events reached those who 
were in the city, who, considering that their hope of safety lay 
in retreat rather than in combat, marched out, lest the victors 
under William de Ypres, who were returning to their allies, having 
gathered confidence by their daily successes, might perchance lay 
schemes to surprise them. Nor was the empress rescued without 
hard fighting and extreme difficulty. Geoffirey Boterel, the brother 
of Alan, earl of Richmond, won great renown in her defence, for 
he rallied the last of his company, and nobly sustained and vigor- 
ously repelled the assaults of the enemy. The king of Scotlsmd, 
having lost almost all his men, barely escaped, and made a pre- 
cipitate retreat to his kingdom. For a certain godson of his, David 
Holifiard, a comrade of those who besieged the city of Winchester, 

^ Sach is the retdiqg of Twrsden's edition. 

* Robert, the son of king Henry L by Editha, or Eda, concerning whom see 
Anderson's Qeneslog. Tables, p. 741. ' See Dugd. Banm. I 599. 

C 2 



20 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. 114S-^ 

secreted him ; so that those who were in eager search of the king 
did not discover hira. Earl Robert was intercepted and captured 
at the pass of a certain bridge. And not long afterwards, that is, 
about the feast of St. Martin [12th Nov.], by the deliberate agree- 
rnent of both parties, king Stephen was restored to the kingdom, and 
earl Robert set at libertv with his men. 

The legate Henry, bishop of Winchester, remitted to the judg- 
ment of the apostolic sovereign, William, the archbishop elect of 
York. For William, abbot of Rievaux, Richard, second abbot of 
Fountains, Cuthbert, prior of Gisbum, Wallefus, prior of Kirkham, 
and Robert Hospitalis, charged him with having achieved that 
dignity by a pecuniary agreement. Also Robert Biseth, prior of 
Hexham, on hearing of his election, quitted at once his house and 
his brethren, and gave himself up to the religious life under Ber- 
nard, abbot of Clairvaux. 

A.D. 1143. Richard was confirmed prior of Hexham, according 
to the election of the brethren, by the hand of William the dean, 
and the chapter of York, since at that time the cause of William, 
archbishop elect of York, was being heard in the consistory of pope 
Innocent. Master Walter, archdeacon of London, was also present 
as the bearer of the written charges of the abbots and priors against 
him. A decree at length was given, that, on the third Sunday in 
Lent of the following year, both those who were then present and 
those who were absent should assemble there. William Painel, 
commander of the soldiers in Nottingham, marched a troop of 
soldiers to Southwell, with intent to break down the wall wherewith 
the enclosures of the church of St. Mary were protected, and to 
carry off the spoil. A great assemblage of the province, who had 
rushed thither for the defence of the place, acted courageously. 
Tliere also fell by an arrow-shot one of the soldiers of the enemy's 
army, who was speaking in a boastful manner against that place. 
So this William went to the empress, in order that when he re- 
turned with a large force of soldiers, he might storm the place ; 
but, behold I in the darkness of the night, by the contrivance of two 
youths who had charge of the mills, the soldiers of William Peverel 
scaled the rock on which the citadel was built, and obtained pos- 
session of the town, and expelled from Nottingham all who were in 
favour of the empress. After Easter [4th April], king Stephen, 
followed by his queen Matilda, came to York, and put an end to 
the passages of arms which were being carried on between William, 
earl of York, and Alan, earl of Richmond. And he had a design 
to go and avenge his former injuries, and to restore the kingdom to 
its ancient dignity and integrity ; but being seized with illness, he 
disbanded the military force which he had levied. At this period 
Robert de Brus died. Also William Cumin having, by the present- 
ation of the empress, become master of the episcopal property of 
Durham, grievously harassed very many : his conduct savoured 
somewhat of the tyrant. Ralph, archdeacon of Durham, nephew 
of Ralph, bishop of Durham, a man of eminent virtue in these 
ecclesiastical difficulties, took his departure, choosing exile in pre- 
ference to submitting to the intrusion by which William Cumin 



▲.D.1144.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 21 

aimed at the episcopal dignity. Roger, prior of the same church, 
speedily followed him, a man of most revered worth, instructed 
from his earliest years in monastic discipline. Not long after, 
divine service was interdicted in the church of Durham, and all 
worship of God ceased in it. 

A.D. 1144. According to the order of the apostolic decree, Wil- 
liam, abbot of Rievaux, Richard, the second abbot of Fountains, 
Cuthbert, prior of Gisburn, Wallevus, prior of Kirkham, and 
Robert Hospitalis, were at Rome, with whom were Walter, arch- 
deacon of London, and William, precentor of York. William the 
elect was also there with his supporters, against whom those who 
had charged him proceeded to a trial before the pope. The sum 
of their complaint appeared to lie in this, that William, earl of 
York, commanded, as the representative of the king in the chapter 
of York, that this William should be elected. The pope therefore 
decreed, that if William, dean of York, would swear that this order 
of the king was never brought by the earl before the chapter, he 
might be duly admitted to consecration, provided also that he 
would give a pledge in his own person that he had not sought this 
preferment by bribery. It was likewise ruled that, in place of the 
dean, another approved person might be substituted to take the 
oath. Roger, the prior of Durham, and Ralph, the archdeacon, 
sent a deputation to the pope, and laid before him the afflictions of 
the church of Durham. Armed with his authority, they summoned 
to meet them at York, in the chapel of St. Andrew (which is within 
tlie church of St. Peter), a few of the clergy of the diocese of Dur- 
ham, whom they could with difficulty collect, in the middle of 
Lent, on account of the persecution of William Cumin. All these 
agreed in the election of William, the archdeacon of York, who at 
that time was taking part in a council at London ; for he was 
a man of great age, worthy of the episcopal dignity from his learned 
acquirements, his discretion of mind, and uprightness of life. 
Meeting him on his return at Wintringham, on the river Humber, 
and taking him into the church, they laid before him the business 
of their deliberation ; and although he greatly resisted and opposed, 
they confirmed the agreement of their choice in him by the invoca- 
tion of the divine favour. A delay took place as to his promotion, 
because the legate Henry, bishop of Winchester, had crossed over 
.into Normandy. At his return, about Whitsuntide, the bishop 
elect, with the clergy of Durham, went to Winchester, where the 
consent of the legate being obtained, and through him that of the 
king, on the octaves of St. John Baptist [1st July], nine bishops 
assisting, he was consecrated with due solemnity in the church of 
St. Swithin. The pope placed William Cumin under anathema, 
and his archdeaconry, which he had in the church of Worcester, 
was given to another, without hope of recovery. He, exasperated 
by these punishments, assailed like a most savage spoiler all the 
clergy and laity on whom he could lay hands, and exhausted the 
whole treasure of the province ; neither prince nor noble could 
repress his violence. Tliere was, however, a certain soldier, Roger 
de Coincneriis, a good and faithful man, who would not consent to 



22 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.a 1H4~ 

share in the deeds of William Cumin. Wherefore on his property, 
to wit, at Bishopton, he fortified a little stronghold, because the 
place was suitable, being surrounded by a marsh. In this bishop 
William was entertained, and was plunged in grief because he saw 
the people and affairs of the bishopric thus harassed. Earl Henry, 
son of the king of Scotland, and Alan, earl of Richmond, corrupt^ 
by the bribes of William Cumin, had often deceived the bishop by 
vain professions. This bishop came with a large train to Durham, 
striving to surround the church of St. Giles with a trench, in order 
that he might hold that place for his defence. And the monks who 
were within it had prepared a secret passage, by which they designed 
to introduce the bishop with his men. The matter became known 
to William Cumin, who, making an attack with his armed followers, 
burst violently into the monastery, and, finding the monks prostrate 
in distress of mind around the body of St. Cuthbert, he ordered 
them to be put to death, though to this no one would agree. He 
placed there guards and arms. In these times very many, in 
numerous places, inflicted similar injuries upon churches and eccle- 
siastical persons. For G^eofFrey de Magnavilla, having ejected the 
monks from the monastery of Ramesby, desecrated it by converting 
it into a castle. William, earl of York, troubled by the hostility 
of Ralph, earl of Chester, and Gilbert de Ghent, converted the 
monastery of St. Mary, at Brellinton, into a castle. Alan, earl 
of Richmond, likewise, with some armed men, breaking into the 
church at Ripon, rudely insulted archbishop William, beside the 
body of St. Wilfrid. This archbishop William, returning in 
the month of September from his foreign travel, according to the 
apostolic decree, appeared at Winchester for the judgment of the 
legate, the nobles of the clergy of England sitting together with 
him. The affection of the multitude was urgent in his favour, they 
not so much requesting as demanding his consecration ; and no 
one appeared there who ventured to object anything against him. 
William, bishop of Durham, being summoned to tlus convention, 
sent a reply, excusing himself on account of the pressing disturb- 
ances of William Cumin. In his place, Ralph Nuel, bishop of 
Orkney, Severinus, abbot of York, and Benedict, abbot of Whitby, 
stood up to answer for the elect. William, archbishop of York, 
was therefore consecrated by the legate, namely, Henry, bishop of 
Winchester, on the sixth of the kalends of October [26th Sept.], 
numbers rejoicing at his promotion. In this year died pope Inno- 
cent. In his room was substituted Celestinus, a man of great age, 
who had designs somewhat beyond his power against Roger, king 
of Sicily, on account of that same Sicily which belonged by right 
to the pope. He had been educated amongst the inhabitants of 
Anion, and designed to strengthen their hands by the abasement 
of king Stephen ; on which ground he was excited to a dislike of 
Henry, bishop of Winchester. Milo, earl of Hereford, died on the 
eve of our Lord's Nativity [24th Dec.], being pierced with an arrow 
when engaged in hunting ; also, Adam de Brus died. 

A.D. 1145. Henry, bishop of Winchester, on his way to Rome, 
tarried at Clugny ; and, in the meanwhile, pope Celestine died, and 



A.0. 1146.] HISTORY OP THE CHURCH OF HBXHAM. 23 

was succeeded by Lucius, a man of less severe temperament. The 
aforesaid bishop Henry found favour in his sight, and refuted the 
criniinal charges of those whom the empress had sent against him ; 
but, nevertheless, he did not continue to hold the title and office of 
l^ate. 

At this time a young soldier, William, nephew of William 
Cumin, regarded by many, a man skiUed in military tactics and the 
administration of public business, enclosed with a wall the church 
of St. John the Evangelist at Merrington, and there placed a gar- 
rison of soldiers. A certain yoimg man, a mason, who built the 
ramparts on the walls of the church, lost his senses and died. 
The same soldier also was struck with disease, ax^l su&red the 
penalty of death, which speedily ensued, and upon his decease the 
hope and confidence of William Cumin fell to the ground. Here- 
upon he adopted a more moderate tone, and desired to be recon- 
ciled to the bishop, before a similar vengeance should fall upon 
himself. Therefore, by the mediation of William the archbishop, 
bishop William and William Cumin agreed upon a treaty of peace 
to this effect, that Richard Cumin should hold of the bishop, 
Alverton, but that the rest of the property should be entirely given 
up into the hands of the bishop. This Richard was the nephew 
of William Cumin, brother of that William who died. So on the 
day of St. Luke the Evangelist [18th Oct.], the bishop was en- 
throned in the episcopal see by the hand of William the archbishop, 
and William Cumin with his train was absolved. Nevertheless, 
the penalty of deserved vengeance from the Lord pursued him ; 
for some days after, a certain soldier, Robert de Mundaville, to- 
wards whom and his wife (a daughter of Geoffirey, bishop of Durham) 
the same William Cumin had acted iniquitously, slew a nephew of 
this William, Osbert, a young soldier much beloved by all who 
were in the service of earl Henry, son of the king of Scotland ; 
and with him Stephen, a soldier, a man of great power, and an 
energetic ally of William Cumin. Also Richard de Luvetot seized 
William Cumin himself, and for many days afflicted him in prison 
with grievous pains and tortures. King Stephen besieged the 
empress in Oxford, seeking rather her surrender than that of the 
town. But she, taking advantage of the night, escaped in the 
snow, clothed in white robes, and sought refuge in Wallingford. 

A. D. 1 146. Hicmar, bishop and cardinal, sent by pope Lucius, 
came as legate into England, bringing the pall intended for archr 
bishop William. But William himself, through carelessness, de- 
layed to meet him, being engaged in other affairs of less moment, 
as was customary with him. For being the son of Herbert of 
Winchester, treasurer of king Henry, he had been brought up in 
luxury and wealth, and was Bttle accustomed to exertion; never- 
theless, much endeared to the populace by the kindness and libe- 
rality of a mild disposition. Then pope Lucius died, and Eugenius 
governed the apostolic see, an abbot of the Cistercian order, pre- 
viously called Bernard. Likewise died William, first abbot of 
Rievaux, held to this day among his successors in revered memory 
for deeds of illustrious virtue. Maurice succeeded ; one brought 



24 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.D. 1146— 

up from childhood as a monk in the cloister of Durham, and who, 
from a desire of perfection, transferred himself to the rigour of 
the Cistercian discipline. Influenced by the same zeal for perfec- 
tion, after a time he renounced the office of abbot, and £thelred 
was appointed in his place, one who had obtained from the Lord an 
excellent grace in the preaching of wisdom. Also Richard, the 
second abbot of Fountains, departed this Ufe. Bernard, abbot of 
Clairvaux, translated to the government of that place Henry Mur- 
dac, abbot of Clairvaux, of excellent family indeed, but especially 
excelling in temperance of living, and enriched by the gift of his 
parents before his monastic profession, under the venerable arch- 
bishop Turstin, with honours and riches, both in the church of 
York and in the adjoining province. Those, therefore, who were 
opposed to archbishop William, regaining confidence, assembled, 
and with them this Henry, relying greatly on his favour with the 
pope. On their pressing their appeal against the said archbishop of 
York, Hicmar was recalled, and returned to Rome, carrying back 
the pall. 

A. D. 1147. William, archbishop of York, made a journey to 
pope Eugenius, to obtain the pall, the insignia of his office. The 
voices of the Roman senate were strongly in his favour; but Ber- 
nard, abbot of Clairvaux, wrote against him, and the pope reso- 
lutely opposed him, as if repudiating the sin of witchcraft and the 
iniquity of idolatry. He was thus placed in a dilemma, since in 
adhering to the views of the abbot, he set at nought the opinion of 
the Roman cardinals. At length he pronounced the suspension of 
William from the episcopal office, until William, bishop of Durham, 
formerly dean of York, should, according to the decree of pope 
Innocent, put an end to this dispute by his oath. On this William, 
perceiving that his afiairs were not prospering, went to visit his 
relative Roger, king of Sicily, and spent a considerable time with 
that king's chancellor, Robert, an Englishman, a native of Salis- 
bury. This Robert was the most influential of the king's friends, 
a man of great wealth, and invested with high dignities. Enraged 
at William's troubles, certain soldiers of his kindred destroyed by 
fire a farm of the monks of Fountains, with the abundant stores 
there laid up. Complaint of this was made to the pope, who was 
very anxious to seize William, and take vengeance on him. 

A quarrel having arisen at this period between Theobald, arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, and Henry, bishop of Winchester, they 
appealed against each other to the pope) and each endeavoured to 
gain his favour, and that of the senate, by letters and sumptuous 
pre<*ents. Moreover, the archbishop suspended the bishop from the 
episcopal and priestly functions. Through king Stephen's influence, 
however, his brother, the bishop was restored to the archbishop's 
favour ; on account of which the archbishop incurred the pope's 
anger for having acted without his advice, the pontiff not being 
favourably disposed towards king Stephen and his brother, bishop 
Henry. Eminent among the Roman clergy at this time was 
Robert Pulleyne,* chancellor of the apostolic see, abounding in all 

\ ^ Sm Caye, Hist. Lit. u. 222 ; Oudin, ii. 1121 ; Wnght, Anglo-Norm. Biog. p. 1 82. 



▲.D. 1148.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 25 

wisdom and knowledge, of British origin, devoted from his earliest 
years to philosophy, for the sake of which he rejected a bishopric 
offered by king Henry, and having food and clothing, was there- 
with content. 

A.D. 1148. Louis, king of France, in his zeal for the christian 
faith, set forth to expel the pagan host from Jerusalem, being 
accompanied in his journey by his queen, Eleanor, daughter of 
William, duke of Aquitaine. A multitude well-nigh innumerable, 
moved by a similar impulse, set out from every kingdom and pro- 
vince of Christendom. William, earl of Warenne, perished in this 
expedition, being cut off by the pagans, when keeping guard in the 
rear of the christian army. With him illustrious prmces of the 
continent also perished, and a very great numbei of men. Roger 
de Mowbray won renowned fame by conquering, in single combat, 
a pagan king. Pope Eugenius, presiding at a council* in France, 
decreed by general proclamation the deposition of William of York 
from the functions and benefice of the archbishopric of York. He 
also addressed a letter to William, bishop of Durham, and the 
chapter of York, requiring them, within forty days after the receipt 
of his epistle, to elect in his stead a man of learning, judgment, 
and piety. Thereupon Henry, bishop of Winchester, entertained 
this William on his return from Sicily, and most punctiliously ren- 
dered him the daily attendance due to an archbishop. During the 
whole period of his humiliation he uttered no murmur or complaint, 
but in the silence of his own self-possessed mind, he exercised 
himself in patience. He never reproached his opponents, and closed 
his heart and ears against those who did. None of his associates 
attended so constantly and assiduously to reading, or gave himself 
so much to preaching, for he became altogether a changed cha- 
racter. So, in obedience to the pope's decree, the superior clergy 
of the church and diocese of York assembled at St. Martin's 
church in the suburb of Richmond, on the eve of St. James 
the Apostle [24th July], to proceed to the election of an arch- 
bishop. The bishop of Durham declined to appear, on account 
of the hostility of William, earl of York, from whom, under 
penalty of excommunication, the bishop required the restoration of 
Ovenden and other possessions of the church of Durham, which 
had been wrested from him by the earl. A difference arose as to 
the person most proper to be elected; for Robert of Gant, the 
king's chancellor and dean, and Hugh of Pudsey, the king's nephew 
and treasurer, both of whom archbishop William had promoted to 
high offices in the church of York, and a party with them, united 
in the choice of Master Hilary, the pope's clerk. But WiUiam, 
bishop of Durham, Aldulf, bishop of Carlisle, William de Augo, 
precentor of York, the archdeacons, and the rest on their side, 
gave the preference to Henry Murdac, abbot of Fountains. The 
pope determined this question by consecrating Henry archbishop, 
at the city of Treves, on the octave of St. Andrew [7th Dec], the 
second Sunday in Advent. Hilary, by the pope's direction, was 
consecrated bishop of the church of Chichester. This Hilary, 

> Holdon at Rheims, 21 March, 1148. See Jaffd, Regest Rom. Pontiff p. 681. 



26 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.!). 1148^ 

when in the service of Henry, bishop of Winchester, acquired the 
highest praise; and when afterwards transferred to the service of 
the pope, he proved himself, in the pleading and prosecution of 
causes in the Roman court, a most fluent advocate and skilful 
lawyer. In this year^ died John, bishop of Glasgow, who, on 
account of the excellence of his character, was held in much regard 
by David, king of Scotland; he was buried in the church of Jed- 
burgh, where he had estabUshed a convent of regular clergy. In 
his room was elected Herbert, abbot of Kelso, also an energetic 
man ; he was consecrated by pope Eugenius at Auxerre. Alexan- 
der, bishop of Lincoln, died; also Robert, earl of Gloucester, an 
illegitimate son of king Henry. 

A.D. 1149. Malachy, archbishop of Ireland, full of faith and of 
the Holy Spirit, by direction of the pope made a journey throu^ 
England, doing good to multitudes by his wholesome teaching in 
the word of doctrine; he then went to Clairvaux, where, falling ill, 
he made a most blessed end, resting in the Lord on the fourth of the 
nones of November [2d Nov.], Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, has 
given a faithful narrative' of his manner of hfe from his early years, 
how he " fed the flock of the Lord in the integrity of his heart, and 
guided them by the skilfiilness of his hands." (Psal. Ixxviii. 72.) 
Robert, bishop of Hereford, also died abroad, being taken ill on 
a visit- to the pope; his clergy, out of regard for his worthy and 
devout life, had him conveyed thence and interred at his episcopal 
see. At this time the city of Lisbon in Spain was besieged and 
taken by assault by the Christians; who, driving out the heathen 
there, revived the episcopal see. Henry, archbishop of York, came 
to England; but king Stephen and the city of York refused to 
acknowledge him, and a grievous disturbance took place there ; for 
whoever attempted to leave the city to join him, if he fell into the 
hands of the citizens, was expelled with torture and confiscation of 
his property. The revenues of the states were appropriated to the 
king's exchequer, and the retainers of St. Peter were subjected to 
violence and spoliation. Archbishop Henry retired to Ripon, and 
pronounced sentence of excommunication on the treasurer, Hugh 
Pudsey, and the inhabitants of the city of York. He inflicted the 
same penalty likewise on William, earl of York, and the whole of 
his opponents. But Hugh the treasurer, having command of the 
church of York, allowed none of the ecclesiastical services to be 
n^lected, and with equal readiness caused archbbhop Henry and 
his adherents to be excommunicated. This affair created shameful 
discord and angry contention in the archbishopric. William, 
bishop of Durham, received archbishop Henry with due respect; 
and when he came to king David at Carhsle, Adulf, bishop of that 
city, treated him with equal reverence. At this time Henry, 
bishop of Winchester, having gone to Rome, with profuse expense 
and great show of opulence, effectually secured himself before the 
pope from the menaces of his enemies. At his request the pope 

' The events of the year 1147 are here blended with those of 1148, as will be 
seen on a comparison of this passage with the Chronicle of Mebrose. 
* S. Bemardi Abbatis Opera, 1. 1465, ed. Par. 1839. 



▲.D. 1160.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OP HEXHAM. 27 

wrote to archbishop Henry, desiring him to deal more gently with 
his nephew, Hugh Pudsey. This Hugh the treasurer, in the mean- 
while, defended with a military force the episcopal possessions and 
the castle of Winchester, himself taking part in the fight. On his 
removal to this distance, his associates became more moderate 
in their opposition to archbishop Henry. 

A. D. 1150. Henry, son of Geoffi^y, earl of Anjou, and the 
empress Adela, came to Carlisle at Easter [15th April], where king 
David entertained him with great respect and sumptuous provision 
of costly munificence. He conferred on him the order of knight- 
hood, assisted by his son Henry, and Ralph, earl of Chester. The 
said Ralph laid aside the animosity with which he had been wont to 
claim Carlisle as of hereditary right, and did homage to king David. 
It was agreed between them, that instead of Carlisle he should have 
the lordship of Lancaster, and earl Ralph's son should marry one 
of the daughters of Henry, son of the king of Scotland. At this 
time king Stephen came to York, and gave up to the citizens to be 
destroyed the fortress of Coldric ; for, on account of the fear of 
the to¥msfolk, who did not dare to enter or leave the city on that 
side, they induced the king to come thither by the promise of a 
large sum of money. Also king David and the young Henry, 
duke of Normandy, and Ralph, earl of Chester, formed a joint 
design to act with their united forces against king Stephen. 
King David, accompanied by the said Henry, march^ with his 
troops to Lancaster, where also earl Ralph promised to meet them 
with his levies ; but, retracting all that he had undertaken, he 
abandoned this project. Duke Henry in consequence returned to 
his own country, and occupied himself in military exercises, being 
a roan of powerful frame, and in disposition possessing somewhat 
of the gravity of age. Between him and king Stephen's son 
Eustace there was a rivalry in excellence, for they both aimed at 
the sovereignty of the same kingdom. Upon Eustace his father 
conferred the dignity of knighthood with great pomp, supported by 
the kindness and liberality of his brother Henry, bishop of Win- 
chester. At the instigation of the citizens of York, king Stephen 
went to Beverley, and imposed a fine 01^ the people of diat place, 
who had dared without his leave to receive into their town the 
archbishop Henry. But he was withheld from erecting a fortress 
there, being alarmed by an apparition of St. John and his threaten- 
ings. Returning then to York, he taxed separately the principal 
men, according to the station of each and his amount of wealth. 
The kingdom also suffered great loss ; for each man, according 
to his own artifice, debased the value of money and coin. 

After the king's departure his son Eustace went to York, and 
finding the sacred -offices discontinued there, he compelled the 
clergy to fulfil all the divine services. Upon this archbishop 
Henry eagerly wrote a complaint to the pope. In the same year 
Robert de Chesney, archdeacon of the church of Lincoln, being 
elevated to the government of that church, was consecrated bishop. 
Also Louis, king of France, returned to his tlirone from his expe- 
dition to Jerusalem. 



28 . CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.i>. 1151— 

A.D. 1151. Robert de Sigillo, bishop of London, who had de- 
voutly discharged his episcopal duties, died from eating poisoned 
grapes at a banquet. Many learned men of great reputation, who 
partook of the same meal, died also. He was succeeded by 
Richard, archdeacon of London, a man possessed of admirable 
eloquence, but his latter days were full of sorrow ; for, becoming 
dumb for many years, he at last died a melancholy death. Gilbert, 
bishop of Lisbon, preached in England, and stirred up a great many 
to undertake an expedition to Spain, to attack and storm Seville. 
About this time Ralph, earl of Chester, being detected in an 
attempt to renew some of his former treacheries against Stephen, 
was placed in close confinement; and being subjected to great 
severity and distress, he restored to the king Lincoln and his other 
strongholds. Some time after, on giving his nephew, Gilbert de 
Clare, as a hostage, he was set at liberty ; but repudiated all his 
engagements, and placed his hostage in peril. And being troubled 
on account of his fortresses, of which he had been deprived, he, by 
way of remedy, conceived the design of recalling duke Henry from 
Normandy to England, promising him his assistance in acquiring 
the kingdom and the concurrence of numbers. Henry, duke of 
Normandy, therefore, came to England, and entered a church near 
the shore, to offer his devotions. Immediately on entering the 
church he presented himself to the priest, and received before all, 
from the celebrant of the holy mysteries, the kiss of peace offered 
by him. Robert, earl of Leicester, took his side, and some ef 
the better-disposed nobles of the kingdom, perceiving in him the 
wisdom of God in executing judgment ; but all those who desired 
to have liberty to follow their own rash devices shrank from him. 
Hugh de Pudsey, treasurer of York, being absolved at Jarum* from 
his excommunication, was received into the favour of archbishop 
Henry. Ako king Stephen's son, Eustace, having had a private 
interview with archbishop Henry, laid aside all his hostility. 

A.D. 11 52. King Stephen and archbishop Henry became recon- 
ciled, and all hostility between them was laid aside on either part. 
On the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul [25th Jan.], the said 
archbishop was installed in his see with great pomp. He offered 
upon the altar the grants (which he had recovered) of dignities, 
liberties, and immunities, bestowed in former times by the popes 
upon the church of York ; and he prohibited, under pain of excom- 
munication, any one from daring again to alienate them from that 
church ; for archbishop William had pledged to the money-lenders 
both the grants and many other valuables out of the treasury of the 
church of York, to defray the expenses which he had incurred in his 
journey to Rome. Then, having settled to his satisfaction the 
affairs of the church of York, archbishop Henry very soon went to 
Rome, and kept the feast of Easter [30th March] with pope 
Eugenius, having been despatched as ambassador to him on the 
business of the king and realm, of which the chief matter was, that 
the king's son, Eustace, might be established by papal authority as 
heir to the throne. At this time John, a priest cardinal, landed at 

^ Perhaps Yarm. 



A.D. 1153.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 29 

Tynemouth in Northumberland, going as legate from the apostolic 
see with palls sent to the Irish bishops. William, bishop of Durham, 
received him with reverence. But he wrote to David, king of 
Scotland, reporting himself and the cause of his arrival, and asking 
from him a convoy to Ireland. And the king at that time, with his 
army, established his nephew "William, son of Duncan, in the lord- 
ship of Skipton and Craven, and stormed a fortress which had been 
constructed by the enemy, and having expelled the garrison, he 
overthrew it. The Scotch there committed the crime of plunder- 
ing churches, for which the king atoned by presenting to each 
church a silver chalice. The king hastened to Carlisle on receiving 
the lord cardinal's letter, sending on his chancellor to meet him at 
the church of Hexham ; for the cardinal was nobly entertained, and 
with him one of the Irish bishops. When the cardinal arrived, 
about the feast of St. Michael [29th Sept.], the king and his son, 
earl Henry, dutifully received him, and sought his favour by costly 
and devoted attentions. Departing thence to Ireland, he distri- 
buted four palls to certain sees, and administered much correc- 
tion to that nation, who did not conform to the law of marriage ; 
but this cardinal priest had come in the previous year to the king 
of England, who refused to grant him a convoy, unless he would 
give his promise that in this expedition he would compass nothing 
to the injury of the kingdom of England. Resenting this language, 
the cardinal returned to the pope, and the Roman court was on this 
slbcount ill-affected to the king. Geoffrey, earl of Anjou, a power- 
ful prince and very skilful in the administration of state affairs, died, 
leaving his son Henry, duke of Normandy, heir to his virtue and 
rank, who received also, in augmentation of his possession, the 
duchy of Aquitaine. For a divorce having taken place, on account 
of consanguinity, between Louis, king of France, and his queen 
Eleanor, Henry took her in marriage with the aforesadd duchy, she 
being the sole heiress of duke William her father. 

A.D. 1153. The priest cardinal legate John, having accomplished 
the object of his mission in Ireland, returned after Easter [19th 
April] to king David, who was endeared to him by strong affection' 
on account of his devoted and reverentia} services. King Stephen, 
repenting himself of his former want of courtesy, invited the cardinal 
to come to him, promising that he would atone for his previous 
offence. At this time died Matilda, queen of England, wife of king 
Stephen, and was buried at the royal vill of Feversham, where she 
had established a body of monks and their residence. After Easter, 
her cousin earl Henry, son of David, king of Scotland, departed 
this hfe, a prince of a gentle disposition, a well-mannered and God- 
fearing man, abounding in charity to the poor; he was buried 
in the monks' monastery at Kelso, near Roxburgh, which David 
his father had founded. King David, suppressing his grief at the 
death of his niece, the queen of England, and of his only son, without 
delay took his son's firstborn Malcolm, and placing him under the 
care of earl Duncan, with a numerous escort caused this youth to 
be conducted through the provinces of Scotland, and proclaimed 
heir to the throne. Accompanied by his younger son William, he 



30 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.i>. 1158. 

vent to Newcastle, and taking pledges of all the chiefs of North- 
umberland, he subjected them to die young man's government. 
Theobald, earl palatine, also deceased, nephew of king Henry and 
brother of king Stephen, a founder of many religious houses, liberal 
to pilgrims and the poor, a peaceful and upright prince, who had 
rendered great political service to the whole realm of France. 
Henry, archbishop of York, went to the church of Hexham, and 
spent a considerable portion of the summer in its territory. He 
made a complaint at Carlisle to king David, that his forests had 
been ravaged by the king's men who were employed in working 
the* silver mines. Animated by zeal for good order, he laboured 
when there to enjoin upon the canons of that church a very strict 
observance of certain regulations. He also inducted regular canons 
to the prebends of the church of St. Oswald at Gloucester, appoint- 
ing as their prior Unfred, a literate and monk of the monastery of 
Lanthony. With regard to the prebends of the church of St. Jolm 
of Beverley, he also entertained the same design as] the deceased 
archbishop Turstin ; which, however, his death speedily occurring, 
he was unable to accomplish. In this year William, bishop of 
Durham, of blessed memory, died on the ides of November [13th 
Nov.]. Immediately upon his death, the clergy and laity of the 
bishopric of Durham were involved in an accumulation of troubles ; 
for the clergy made every effort to evade the mandates and injunc* 
tions of ardbbishop Henry, and to provide a bishop for themselves, 
without incurring his condemnation, of which they stood greatly in 
awe. Also, Roger de Conyers, who, in the room of his lately 
deceased father Roger, held the rule of the castle and territory of 
Durham, desiring, like a young man, to add to the pomp of his 
military array, laid the men of the bishopric under heavy pecuniary 
exaction, and was too often the cause of their being plundered 
by others. 

A.D. 1154. At Durham, on the feast of St. Vincent the martyr 
[22d Jan.], prior Lawrence, Wazo and Ralph, archdeacons, and the 
whole of the clergy, agreed in the election of Hugh, treasurer of 
York, and by their emissaries, archdeacon Wazo, and Nicholas, prior 
of Brinkbum, at once announced the event to archbishop Henry at 
Beverley. But the archbishop, disapproving of the election, denied 
the messengers access to him, and at daybreak celebrated a mass of 
the Holy Spirit, and excommunicated the prior and archdeacons. 
This rejection aroused great excitement against the archbishop, so 
that on the first day of Lent [17th Feb.], the prior and arch- 
deacons of Durham, and Master Lawrence and prior Nicholas, 
whom he had also excommunicated, assembled before the arch- 
bishop at York, demanding that they should be absolved, and con- 
tending that their election was firmly supported by the force of the 
canons. The citizens of York, also, arose with them in complaint, 
charging him with contempt of the royal prerogative. The arch- 
bishop in consequence hastily left the city, and never entered it 
again to the day of his death; and not even at the entreaties of the 
king's son Eustace, who came to him at Beverley, would he depart 
from this determination. During these events Hugh, the bishop- 



A.D. 1154.] HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF HEXHAM. 31 

elect, abode in the south of England, and took no part in this 
contention. And, indeed, the clergy of Durham, seeing that the 
archbishop enjoyed the pope's favour, did not venture to call to 
their support either the king or any one else. At length, after 
many difSculties, they were absolved by aid of the recommendation 
of llieobald, archbishop of Canterbury, to the pope's legate. In 
the month of August Hugh came to York, and the archbishop 
being opposed to him, the chapter did not dare to offer him counsel 
or aid. He therefore went with the clergy of Durham to present 
himself to the pope, furnished with recommendations from arch- 
bishop Theobald and other persons of high estimation in England. 
But Master Laurence leaving them, embraced the monastic pro- 
fession at St. Alban's; from whence, a few years after, v he was 
elevated by king Henry to preside over the monks of Westminster 
on the deposition of abbot Gervase, son of king Stephen, who in 

Jouthful wantonness had wasted the property of that establishment. 
n the same year David, king of Scotland, worn down by infirmity, 
died at Carlisle, whose memory is blessed through all generations. 
There has been no prince like him in our days, devoted to sacred 
duties, observing every day the canonical hours, and never omitting 
to attend the masses for die departed. He was remarkable for the 
wise and courageous spirit hj which he skilfully restrained the 
fierceness of his barbarous nation, for his frequent washing the feet 
of the poor, and for his compassion in feeding and clothing them, 
foe that he founded the monasteries of Saltehou,^ Melrose, New- 
bottle, Holmcultram, Jedburgh, Crag, and those situated on this 
side of the Scottish sea, endowing them with lands and revenues 
for their maintenance; besides other good deeds which he performed 
in Scotland and ebewhere. He bestowed his liberality moreover 
on foreign nations, on pilgrims, on religious and secular. I might 
proudly tell of the daily abstemiousness ill food and vesture, of the 
holiness and virtue of his conduct, and the moral discipline by 
which he rendered himself an example even to monastic men. He 
reigned twenty-nine years ; his corpse was taken to Dunfermline, 
and interred in the tomb of the kings of Scotland, where also 
rested his mother, the sainted queen Margaret. It is said that the 
sea adjoining Dunfermline was chafed with tempestuous squalls of 
wind, threatening shipwreck to those who attempted to cross with 
the corpse; but when the king's body was placed in the vessel, the 
sea immediately became calm ; and when the body was disembarked 
on the opposite shore, the sea was again agitated by the renewed 
violence of the storm. 

After this the whole population of the land accepting Malcolm, 
son of earl Henry, king David's son, as is the custom of that 
nation, appointed this boy, scarcely twelve years old, king over 
Scotland, in place of his grandfather David. Of him it may truly 
be said, " With their seed shall good things continue, and their 
children shall be a holy inheritance." [Ecclus. xliv. 11.] North- 
umberland was under the dominion of his brother William. King 

' Apparently an error of the scribe or printer for EelsehoiL See Fordun, 
Soottichron. i. 801, ed. foL 



32 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.]>. 1154. 

Stephen's son, Eustace, died, and Henry, bishop of Winchester, 
strenuously exerted himself to promote the interests of duke Henry. 
Through his mediation his brother, king Stephen, and duke Henry 
concluded a stipulation for the establishment of peace, oaths being 
given and received on each side. It was agreed between them that 
duke Henry should manage the affairs of the realm, and be acknow- 
ledged heir to the throne after king Stephen; and that in all dis- 
puted points in the kingdom, Henry himself should yield to Henry 
bishop of Winchester, as to a father. He also was to yield to 
Henry the rule of the affairs of state, reserving to king Stephen's 
son William, with the earldom of Warren, that which belonged to 
him of hereditary right, to wit, two earldoms in England. To this 
agreed all the nobles of the kingdom, and those who had opposed 
king Stephen now submitted to him. An edict was immediately 
promulgated by them for the suppression of outrages, the prohibi- 
tion of spoliations, the dismissal from the kingdom of mercenary 
soldiers and archers of foreign nations, and the destruction of the 
fortresses which, since the death of king Henry, every one had built 
upon his own property. Justice and peace were thus everywhere 
restored to the kingdom. Simon Saint Liz, earl of Northampton, 
and Ralph, earl of Chester, died. Pope Eugenius died, and was 
succeeded by Anastasius, a very old man. Bernard also, abbot of 
Clairvaux, whom the anointing of the Spirit instructed in all things, 
departed this life. Also Henry, archbishop of York, died at Bever- 
ley, on the day before the ides of October [14th Oct.]. His corpse 
was conveyed to York, and deposited in the burial-place of the 
prelates of that church. 

THE END OF THE HISTORY BT JOHN THE PRIOR, EMBRACING 

A PERIOD OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. 



THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN, AND THE 
BATTLE OF THE STANDAED. 



BY BIGHABSt PRIOR OF THE GHURCH OF HEXHAM. 



VOL. IV. 



THE ACTS or KING STEPHEN, AND THE 
BATTLE OP THE STANDARD. 



HERE BEGINS THE HISTORY OF RICHARD, PRIOR OF THE CHURCH 
OF HEXHAM, OF PIOUS MEMORY, CONCERNING THE ACTS OF 
KING STEPHEN, AND THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD. 

A.D. 1135. In the year of the incarnate Word 1135, sixty-nine 
years after the invasion of England by the Normans, Henry, king 
of England, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, was seized with 
illness, occasioned by eating some lampreys, and died at St. Denis, 
in a forest of Normandy called Leuns, on Monday, the fourth of 
the nones of December [2d Dec.]. He had an illustrious reign of 
thirty-five years and four months. His body, in compliance with 
his own directions, was conveyed to England, and buried at Read- 
ing. Justice and peace, which had so long ruled with him, 
perished in like manner with him both in Normandy and England ; 
and the defence of justice (which at that time everywhere held 
sole rule) being removed, in the place of peace and justice, 
violence and rapine, slaughter and devastation, unheard-of cruelties 
and endless calamities, tyrannized far and wide. After his death 
all these evils raged the more freely and fiercely, in proportion to 
the stem force and strict justice by which in his lifetime so many 
had been overthrown, kept under, despoiled, disinherited, and 
exiled. Seizing from this event the opportunity so ardently 
longed for, each one hastened to avenge himself whilst it lay in his 
power, to efiect whatever mischief he could. At this period 
William, sumamed Transversus, who by a grant from king Henry 
held the lordship of Pontefract, (as the town is called,) having 
received at that place a mortal wound from a knight named Pain, 
died three days afterwards, having assumed the monastic habit. 
Then Ilbert de Lacy, the son, regained the lordship of which king 
Henry had deprived his father, Robert de Lacy ; and many similar 
cases occurred at that time throughout England and Normandy. 
In his youth the noble king Henry was distinguished for his honour- 
able bearing; he had frequently undergone the trial of adverse cir- 
cumstances, and was well practised in martial conflicts. He was a 
man of counsel and foresight, sagacity and prudence, firm in mind, 
courageous in spirit, truthful in speech, faithful to his promises, 
resolute in his threats, steadfast in friendship, persistent in hatred, 
patient in adversity, moderate in prosperity, fluent in oratory, stem 
in justice, equitable in judgment, a bitter foe to his opponents, a 
warm friend to his allies. Having, on the death of his brother 
Wmiam, acquired the throne of England, he (by marvellous 

D 2 



36 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.D. 1135^ 

cunning) obtained from his brother, earl Robert, the dukedom of 
Normandy, and managed the afiairs of both states with great 
ability, and, with a policy which cannot be described, he gained the 
ascendency over all who were unfavourable to him. He put down 
many men of high rank on account of their bad faith, and loaded 
with high honours many of humble birth who proved honest and 
loyal to him. He also revived the good laws^ and customs of 
his predecessor and relative, king Edward ; and when they were 
amended, as he saw fit, by his wisdom, and confirmed by his autho- 
rity, he caused them to be strictly and constantly observed by rich 
as well as poor throughout his kingdom. Moreover, he visited 
with severe punishment thieves and robbers, plunderers and evil- 
doers, forgers of base coin, and wild prodigals. Thus in his days was 
a bright season of peace, and many monasteries were changed to 
the profession of monks, and especially of the regular canons, 
where previously there had been none. He indeed founded, and 
with regal munificence endowed, two convents, one of monks at 
Reading, where he desired to be buried, and the other of canons ait 
Cirencester, and appointed to both abbots of their respective 
orders. The monastery at Reading he favoured with his patronage, 
and in a conspicuous place he built a church of very beautiAil 
workmanship, and furnished it with princely revenues, and a nume- 
rous choir of monks. The convent of Cirencester he founded 
four years before his death, and established there regular canons, 
whom he provided with abundant supplies. He was distinguished 
for his admirable bounty and due regard towards religious and 
poor. None of his successors so strongly prohibited as he unjust 
extortions in the realm, or so skilfully disposed all to quiet sub- 
jection and orderly behaviour; none so piously regarded the clergy, 
or provided with such sumptuous beneficence for the poor and 
needy. 

He had two queens; the first, named Matilda, was a daughter of 
Malcolm, king of Scotland, and by her he had one daughter, who 
married first the emperor Henry of Germany, and afterwards 
Geoffrey, earl of Anjou. By this queen he had also one son, 
called William, who perished at sea, with the principal nobility of 
England and Normandy. After the death of Matilda he married 
a second queen, named Adeliza, the daughter of Godfrey, duke of 
Lovaine, by whom he had no issue. But, through fornication and 
adultery, he had several children ; for these two vices, sensuality and 
covetousness, had too much the rule over him, and hence many 
were depraved by his bad example. Being in Normandy a little 
before his death, he partook of some lampreys, which speedily 
brought on an iUness of which he died, as was before stated. On 
his demise, immediately there arose wicked men and sinners, setting 
at nought all the rules of justice and of order, and fiercely giving 
themselves up to devastations and slaughters, incendiarism and every 
other form of crime. For (as we have said), in the commence- 
ment of his reign, he had given the people just laws and liberties, 

^ See the '* Leges regia Henrici primi," in Thorpe's Ancient Laws of SngUnd, 

im. 



A.D. 1135.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF RING STEPHEN. 87 

established them by charter, confirmed them by his seal, and 
directed them to be laid up in his treasury at Winchester, as the 
following document will clearly show : — 

" Henry/ by the grace of God, kmg of the English, to all his 
faithful people, whedier French-bom or English, throughout all 
England, wisheth greeting. 

" Know ye that by the mercy of God, and the united will of 
the barons of the kingdom of England, I have been crowned king 
of this realm. And forasmuch as the kingdom has been oppressed 
by unjust extortions, I, from reverence to God and the love which 
I bear towards you all, in the first place, acknowledge the freedom 
of God's holy church ; so that I will neither sell it, nor let it out 
to farm, nor on the death of an archbishop, bishop, or abbot, will 
I receive anything from the domain, or from the vassals of the 
church, until his successor shall be installed. And I hereby abolish 
all the evil practices by which the kingdom of England has been 
unrighteously oppressed, and some of those evil practices I here 
specify. If any of my barons, or earls, or others who hold under 
me shall die, his heir shall not redeem his land, as the practice was 
in the time of my brother, but shall relieve it by a just and legal 
payment. And in like manner Xhp vassals of my barons shall 
relieve their lands from their lords by a just and legal pay- 
ment. And if any of my barons or other vassals shall desire to 
give in marriage his daughter, sister, niece, or other relative, he 
shall consult me thereupon ; but neither will I receive anything 
from him for this permission, nor will I prevent him from 
bestowing her in marriage, unless he desire to unite her to my 
enemy. And if, on the death of a baron or other vassal, a daughter 
shall be left an heiress, I will bestow her with her possessions by 
the advice of my barons. And if, on the death of a husband, his 
wife shall be left without children, she shall have her dowry and 
her marriage settlement, and I will not give her in marriage with- 
out her own consent ; but if the wife be left with children, she 
shall have her dowry and her marriage settlement while she keeps 
her body in due order, and I will not give her in marriage without 
her own consent ; and either the wife, or other of the relatives to 
whom it justly pertains, shall be the guardian of the children's 
property. And I order my barons to act in a similar manner to 
the sons, or daughters, or wives of their vassals. From hence- 
forth I utterly prohibit the common coinage of money, which was 
taken throughout the cities and counties, which was not in the time 
of king Edward ; and if any one, either coiner or other, be appre- 
hended with base coin, let strict justice be done upon him. I 
remit all the pleas and the debts which were owing to my brother, 
excepting only my legal farms, and excepting those which were 
contracted for the inheritances of others, or for those properties 
which of right pertained to others. And if any one had made an 
agreement for his own inheritance, I remit that and all those 
idiefs which were contracted for rightful inheritances. And if any 
of my barons or vassals shall fall sick, in whatsoever manner he 

' Collated with the copy extant in the work cited in the last note, p. 497. 



38 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1185: 

shall grant or by will dispose of his property, I confirm the deed. 
But if dying suddenly by violence or sickness, he shall not grant or 
dispose of his property, his wife, or his children, or his relatives 
and lawful vassals, shall divide it for the good of his soul, as to 
them shall seem best. But if he shall have been convicted of 
treason or crime, he shall thus make satisfaction. If any of my 
barons or vassals shall become amenable to the law, he shall not 
give security of his money at the will of his lord, as he did in 
the time of my father and brother, but he shall make satisfaction 
according to the nature of his crime, as satisfaction was made 
before my father's time, in the days of my other predecessors. All 
murders perpetrated before the day of my coronation I pardon ; and 
all which shall be henceforward committed, shall be legally atoned 
for according to the law of king Edward. The forests, by the 
united consent of my barons, I retain in my own hand, as my 
father held them. To knights who do military service for their 
lands, I, by my own gift, grant the lands of their own domains to 
be free from all tribute and work; so that being freed from so heavy 
a burden, they may so fully equip themselves with horses and arms, 
as to be ready and prepared for my service and the defence of my 
kingdom. I establish a firm peace in the whole of my kingdom, 
and order it to be henceforth kept. I grant you the law of king 
Edward, with the amendments made by my father with the advice 
of his barons. If any one since the death of my brother William 
has taken anything from me, or from the property of another, the 
whole shall be immediately restored without a fine; but if any 
one after this shall retain any such property, he in whose pos* 
session it is found shall make heavy satisfaction to me. 

" These are the witnesses hereof : Maurice,* bishop of London, 
William, bishop-elect of Winchester, Gerard, bishop of Hereford, 
earl Henry, earl Simon, earl Walter Gifiard, R. de Mountford, 
Eudo the butler, and Roger Bigot. Farewell." 

Let what has been thus briefly told concerning him suflice for 
the present. If any one desires to know his acts more at length, 
and how he conducted himself in his kingdom, he may find it in 
the histories of the transactions of the English. Henry was suc- 
ceeded in his throne by Stephen, earl of Boulogne, his nephew, by 
his sister the countess of Blois, and the brother of earl Theobald. 

A. D. 1 136. Stephen, earl of Boulogne, being chosen by the nobles 
of the kingdom, with the sanction of the clergy and people, was 
crowned king at London on Christmas-day, by William, archbishop 
of Canterbury. The beginning and course of his reign was over- 
whelmed with so many and so violent discordant commotions, that 
how to describe them, or what may be their termination, no one 
can yet know. The king himself, however, although straitened on 
every side by calamities numberless and extreme, preserved ever a 
firm courage and a cheerful countenance ; and, as if already sure 
of ultimate victory, smiled at the threats and endeavours of his 
foes, the artifices of the designing, the perfidy of traitors, and the 

1 At this point there is a considerable yariation among the several MS. copies. 
Bee Thorpe, p. 502. 



A.V. 1186.] HISTORY OP THE ACTS OF KING fiTBFHKN. 89 

loss of worldly possessions, however great, as if he did not feel 
them, or counted them for nothing. This confidence and assurance 
on his part filled his enemies with amazement and confusion, but 
inspired his friends with energy, boldness, and comfort. He was a 
man also of so much kindness and good nature, that his very 
enemies were attracted to his side, and experienced from him a 
degree of kindness beyond their expectation. From this cause he 
succeeded in levying large masses of subsidiary troops, by means of 
whom he efiected his objects in Normandy and England. For 
Geoffrey, earl of Anjou, (who had married kmg Henry's daughter, 
the empress, as she was called after her marriage with the em- 
peror,) to whose son England and Normandy had been assigned by 
oath, so soon as he was aware that Stephen was chosen king, devas- 
tated and laid waste many districts, and took and maintained, in 
opposition to him, many fortresses in Normandy. Likewise also 
died David, king of Scotland, the uncle of the same lady, who, 
about Christmas, seized and held with a strong force five towns in 
the province of Northumbria ; to wit, Lugubafia, called in English 
Carlisle, Camim, by the English called Wark, Alniirick, Norham, 
and Newcastle ; but he altogether failed to take Bambrough. He 
received from the chiefs and nobles of that locality vows and 
pledges of fidelity to his niece, the empress. It was his design to 
attack Durham also, but king Stephen with a large force arrived 
there on Ash-Wednesday (which that year fell on the nones of 
February) [5th Feb.], and remained there fifteen days. At length 
a conference was held in that province, and a treaty being con- 
cluded between the two kings, Henry, son of David, king of Scot- 
land, did homage to king Stephen at York. With his father's 
earldom of Huntingdon the king gave him Carlisle and Doncaster, 
with all their appurtenances; and according to the account ojf 
some, who state that they were present at that convention, he pro- 
mised him that if he purposed to bestow upon any one the earldom 
of Northumberland, he would first cause the claim which Henry, 
son of the king of Scotland, might have upon it, to be fairly 
adjudicated in his court. King David restored to Stephen, king of 
England, four of the aforesaid castles which he had seized ; for the 
fifth, namely, Carlisle, had been ceded to him, an agreement with 
pledges being concluded by the subjects on each side. At the Easter 
following [22d March], Henry, son of the king of Scotland, was pre- 
sent at the court which Stephen, king of England, held in state at 
London, being there received with the highest honours, and placed 
at table on the king's right hand. On account of this, William, 
archbishop of Canterbury, withdrew from court, and some of the 
nobles of England, enraged at the king, gave vent to their dis- 
approbation in the presence of Henry himself. David, king of 
Scotland, was highly indignant at this, and on his son's return, 
refused to allow him again to visit the king's court, though fre- 
quently invited. 

In this year the Welsh ravaged a great portion of the land of 
Stephen, king of England, and out off by stratagem in their country 
two of his barons, Richard Fitz-Roger and Pain Fitz-John; 



40 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. ^ [▲.DillM» 

they afterwards, however, made peace with him. In the same year» 
also, Baldwin de Redvers, disappointed at not obtaining a barony 
which the king had promised hun, fortified against him his town of 
Exeter ; but the king laid his land waste, and after a lengthened 
siege took the town by storm, and having made him prisoner^ 
banished him from England and Normandy ; he took refuge, how* 
ever, with Geofirey, earl of Anjou, and his wife the empress. 

In this year also. Innocent, pontiff of the see of Rome, sent to 
Stephen, king of England, a letter, in which he confirmed him by 
apostolic authority in the sovereignty of England. The following 
is a copy : — 

" Innocent, bishop, the servant of the servants of God, to his 
well-beloved son in Christ, the illustrious Stephen, king of the 
English, health and the apostolic benediction. 

" The King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose hand are all 
the powers and rights of all kingdoms, in the unfathomable dispen- 
sation of his divine providence, changes times and transfers 
kingdoms at his will, as saith the prophet, ' The Most High God 
ruleth in the kingdom of men, and appointeth over it whomsoever 
He will.' [Dan. iv. 17.] What blessings, what happy tranquillity, 
what just severity, abounded in the kingdom of England and duke- 
dom of Normandy, under the rule of our son of glorious memory, 
king Henry, have been made clearly evident since he has been 
removed from earthly concerns. For being a favourer of religious 
men, a lover of peace and justice, a kind comforter of widows and 
orphans, a defender of those who were powerless to defend them- 
selves, since his decease (as we have been informed) religion has 
been unsettled in the kingdom of England, no law enforcing peace 
or justice has been available for the king's assistance, and impunity 
has attended the most atrocious crimes. But, in order that such 
dire ferocity may not continue to swell and rage against God's 
people, the mercy of divine love has listened to the prayers of 
the religious, and mightily set itself against such enormities ; and 
has therefore brought it to pass, that by the united voice and com- 
mon consent both of nobles and people, you should be chosen king,, 
and consecrated by the primates of the kingdom, as is certified to 
us by the letters of our venerable brethren, the archbishops and 
bishops of those parts, and of those lovers of the holy Roman 
churdi, the renowned king of the French and the illustrious count 
Theobald, as well as by the declaration of trustworthy men. 
Knowing that in your person the divine favour accords with the 
choice of men so worthy, and knowing also that for the recom- 
pence of a sure hope on the day of your consecration, you vowed 
obedience and reverence to St. Peter ; and since you are known to 
be descended almost in a direct line from the royal lineage of the 
aforesaid kingdom, we, satisfied with what has been done in your 
case, receive you with fatherly affection, as a favoured son of St. reter 
and of the holy Roman church, and heartily desire to retain you 
in the same pnvilege of regard and intimacy by which your prede- 
cessor of illustrious memory was by us distinguished." 

King Stephen, by these and other means, being established on 



I.all86.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 41 

the throne of England, convoked by royal proclamation an 
assembly of the bishops and nobles, and in conjunction with them 
enacted as follows : — 

" I Stephen, by the grace of God, chosen king of England by 
the consent of the clergy and people, having been consecrated by 
William, archbishop of Canterbury, legate of the holy Roman 
church, and confirmed by Innocent, pontiff of the holy Roman 
see, do from reverence and love of God acknowledge the liberty 
of holy church, and vow due respect to it. I promise that in the 
church or ecclesiastical matters, I will do or allow nothing of a 
simoniacal nature. I allow and maintain that the judgment and 
control of ecclesiastical persons and all the clergy, and £he patron- 
age of ecclesiastical benefices, is in the power of the bishops. I 
grant and ordain that the rights of churches confirmed by their 
charter, and their customs used by ancient tenure, shall remain 
inviolate. All the estates of churches, and the tenures which they 
held on the day of the decease of my grandfather, kin^ WilUam, 
I grant without bond or restriction, and exempt from sal litigious 
claims. But if there shall still remain anything held or possessed 
before the death of that king now wanting to the church, I reserve 
the restitution or discussion of the same to my own pleasure and 
arbitration. I confirm whatever has been derived by them from 
the liberality of kings, the bounty of nobles, the oblation, convey- 
ance, or transference of the faithful, since the demise of that king. 
I promise that in all things I will pursue peace and justice, and by 
all means in my power secure their continuance. I reserve to 
myself the forests which my grandfather William, and my uncle 
William the Second, made and held ; but all the others, which were 
added by king Henry, I yield and restore without cavil to the 
churches and kingdom. If any bishop, abbot, or other ecclesiastic, 
shall before his death assign or bequeath his property in a reason- 
able manner, I grant a confirmation of the act ; but if he shall be 
cut off by sudden death, it shall be assigned as the church may 
advise for the good of his soul. While any sees are vacant of 
their proper pastors, they and all their possessions shall be 
entrusted to the management and charge of the clergy, or approved 
men of that church, until a pastor be canonically appointed. 
I totally prohibit all extortions, injustice, and false actions, wrong- 
fully effected either by sheriffs or others. I will observe good 
laws and ancient and rig^t customs in the hundreds, and in pleas 
and other legal processes, and - order and decree that they shall be 
observed. All these things I grant and confirm, saving my royal 
and lawful dignity. 

" The witnesses hereto are, William, archbishop of Canterbury, 
Hugh, archbishop of Rouen, Henry, bishop of Winchester, Roger, 
bishop of Salisbury^ Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, Nigel, bishop 
of Ely, Herbert, bishop of Norwich, Simon, bishop of Worcester, 
Bemaitl, bishop of St. David's, Audoenus, bishop of Evreux, 
Richard, bishop of Avranches, Robert, bishop of Hereford, John, 
bishop of Rochester, Adelwulf, bishop of Carlisle, Roger the chan- 
cellor, Henry the king's nephew, Robert, earl of Gloucester, 



I 



42 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. 1186^ 

William, earl of Warren, Ralph, earl of Chester, Roger, earl of 
Warwick, Robert de Vere, Milo de Gloucester, Robert de OUi, 
Brian, son of the earl-constable, William Martel, Hugh Bigot» 
Humfrey de Bohun, Simon de Beauchamp, the seneschals, William 
de Albini, Martel de Albini, the cup-bearers, Robert de Ferrers. 
William Peverel, Simon de Senlis, William de Albania, Hugh de St. 
Clair, Ilbert de Lacy. Dated at Oxford, in the year of our Lord one 
thousand one hundred and thirty-six, and the first of my reien." 

By these and other methods, Stephen being speedily settled in 
the kingdom of England, gave and granted (in the first year of his 
reign) laws and customs of this nature to his realm, and faithfully 
promised that he and his followers would most strictly observe 
them. In the same year, in the month of August, king Stephen 
crossed into Normandy, on account of the war with the earl of 
Anjou. William, archbishop of Canterbury, died in the month of 
November, and was buried in his own city. 

A. D. 1137. In the following year, immediately after Easter 
[11th April], when king David had levied his troops, he set out to 
lay waste Northumberland, in violation of the treaty of peace. 
But at the command of king Stephen, (who still remained in Nor- 
mandy,) the greater part of the earls and barons of England, with 
a large force of soldiers, marched to Newcastle in Northumberland, 
being prepared to offer resistance should he invade England. At 
lengfii, by means of envoys, a suspension of arms was agreed upon 
until the following Advent [28th Nov.], and after forty days tliey 
retired to their own quarters. On king Stephen's return from Nor- 
mandy in Advent, after having, on payment of a large sum, con- 
cluded a two years' truce with the earl of Anjou, the ambassadors 
of David, king of Scotland, and his son Henry, speedily presented 
themselves, holding out a withdrawal of the armistice unless he 
would confer on Henry the earldom of Northumberland, but the 
king gave no ear to their demand. 

A.D. 1138. On the fourth ides of January [10th Jan.], king 
David's nephew William, son of Duncan, with a portion of David's 
army, made a nocturnal attack upon the fortress called Carrum, in 
the king of England's territory, and having plundered the neigh- 
bourhood around, proceeded to storm the castle. Afterwards the 
king himself and his son Henry arrived with a further reinforcement, 
and applying the whole strength of their resources, attempted to 
carry the town by various assaults with battering machines and 
other implements, and after that laid siege to it for three weeks. 
Yet he gained no advantage, but, on the contrary, every attempt 
proved injurious to himself : for the knights and others who were 
in the fortress, most ably defending themselves and the town, killed 
his standard-bearer and many others of his men, under his own 
eyes, and wounded many more. The king, perceiving the inutility 
of his efforts, and the many and daily increasing losses to himself 
and his troops, at length raised the siege, and rushed with his 
whole force to devastate Northumberland. And then that exe- 
crable army, more atrocious than the whole race of pagans, neither 
fearing God nor r^arding man, spread desolation^ over the whole 



iTH-llSS.] HISTORY OIP THE ACTS OP KING STEPHEN. 43 

province, and murdered everywhere persons of both sexes, of every 
age and rank, and overthrew, plundered, and burned towns, 
(lurches, and houses. For the sick on their couches, women 
pregnant and in childbed, infants in the womb, innocents at the 
breast, or on the mother's knee, with the mothers themselves, 
decrepit old men and worn-out old women, and persons debilitated 
from whatever cause, wherever they met with them, they put to the 
edge of the sword, and transfixed with their spears ; and by how 
much more horrible a death they could despatch them, so much 
the more did they rejoice. The mournful lamentation of the 
Psalmbt then plainly received its fulfilment, " O God, the heathen 
are come into thine inheritance. Thy holy temple have they 
defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones," (Ps. Ixxix. 1,) and', 
indeed, the whole remaining portion of that psalm. It is said 
that in one place they slew a multitude of children together, and 
having collected their blood into a brook which they had previously 
dammed back, they drank the mixture, of which the greater part 
was pure blood. It is said, also, that in the church they shattered 
the crucifixes with every mark of dishonour, in contempt of Christ 
and to their own infamy ; they dug up the altars, and near them, 
yea, upon them, they slaughtered the clergy and the innocent chil- 
dren. Wherefore we may again not unfitly exclaim in lamentation 
with the Prophet, " O God, Thou hast cast us out, and scattered us 
abroad ; Thou hast also been displeased, and hast not turned unto 
us again," (Ps. Ix.) and so on as there follows. That infamous 
army received accessions from the Normans, Germans, and Eng- 
lish, from the Northumbrians and Cumbrians, from Teviotdale and 
Lothian, from the Picts, commonly called Galwegians, and the 
Scots, and no one knew their number ; for multitudes uncalled- 
for allied themselves with those above mentioned, either from love 
of plunder, or opportunity of revenge, or the mere desire of mis- 
chief with which that region was rife. Overrunning the province, 
and sparing none, they ravaged with sword and fire almost all 
Northumberland as far as the river Tyne, excepting the towns and 
the sea-coast which lies on the eastern side, but this they designed 
to devastate on their return. A portion of that army also crossed 
the Tyne, and massacred numberless persons in the wilds, laying 
waste in the same way the greater part of the territory of St. Cuth- 
bert on the west side. 

While these things were being perpetrated by his followers, the 
king of Scotland with a considerable force occupied Corbridge. At 
this period a' monastery' of the Cistercian rule, founded the same 
year on the property of Ralph de Merley, was destroyed, and very 
many others were overwhelmed with the heaviest afflictions. 
Wherefore the monastery at the mouth of the river Tyne, called in 
English Tynemouth, in order to secure itself and its inmates in 
this urgent need, paid to the king of Scotland and his men twenty- 
seven marks of silver. In this raging and tempestuous period, that 
noble monastery of Hexham, (although in the very midst of the 
collision, and placed as it were on the very route of these ruffians, 

^ Namely, Newminster, near Morpeth. See p. 12. 



44 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND [A.D.11S8. 

SO as to be surrounded by them on every side,) yet on account of 
the renowned merits of its tutelary saints, Andrew the apostle, and 
Wilfrid, bishop and martyr, and of its other patrons. Saints Acca, 
Alcmund, and Eata, bishops and confessors, and the other saints 
who reposed within that church, — offered the most tranquil secu- 
rity to its people and those who took refuge in it, and afforded them 
all a perfectly safe asylum from hostile assaults. Nevertheless, at 
first the Picts rushed with impetuous haste to the river Tyne, on 
which the town stands, and would have destroyed it, as they had 
others ; but just as they were about to cross this river, two of their 
number were killed by their own countrymen, and on this the 
others retired in fear. Moreover, two of the same tribe of Picts 
came by chance upon an oratory of St. Michael the archangel, 
situated on that, the northern bank of the river Tyne, and attached 
to the aforesaid church of Hexham ; thereupon they broke open 
the door, and carried off what they found. But the vengeance of 
God overtook them ; for, given up to the evil one, they were bereft 
of reason, and, as the madness drove them, tore night and day, in 
the sight of all, through forest and country, and both perished by 
a horrible death ; the one first battering lus own face with stones, 
and then having his legs cut off by some one, the other drowning 
himself in the Tyne. These events striking terror into some of the 
army, they did not venture to make any ^rther attempt upon the 
possessions of the church of Hexham. Thereupon David, king of 
Scotland, and earl Henry his son, guaranteed to that monastery, its 
brethren, and all belonging to it, continued security from hostilities 
on the part of themselves and all their followers ; and this they 
confirmed by their charters, which are preserved in that church, the 
sole condition being that they, on their part, should preserve the 
peace towards him and his. Thus that noble church, founded by 
St. Wilfrid, preserving its ancient and wonted lustre in this and 
other storms of battle and contention, became a secure place of 
refuge to numberless poor as well as rich, to whom it afforded the 
necessaries of life, and the preservation of their property. 

Meanwhile, about the feast of the Purification of St. Mary [2d 
Feb.], Stephen, king of England, arrived with a great number of earls 
and barons, and a large force of horse and foot. On hearing of this 
the king of Scotland left Northumberland, and rapidly retreated with 
his army to his own territory. He marched to Wark, and afterwards 
lay in wait with his troops in some wilds near Roxburgh, with a 
design to ensnare the king of England, who he hoped would take up 
his quarters at Roxburgh. He directed the citizens to receive him 
favourably, and to make a show of good faith ; but he also directed 
that when he with his army should steal up by night, and a number 
of soldiers whom he had placed in the town should make a sudden 
sally and join him with the townsmen, they all should unite in 
encompassing the king of England unawares on every side, and 
should cut him off with all his men. But the Lord, who knoweth the 
thoughts of man that they are but vain, brought to nought all these 
devices. For the king of England crossed the river Tweed, and did 
not proceed to Roxbui^h, but devastated and burnt a great portion 



I.all38.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 45 

of the territory of the long of Scotland ; and then, because many of 
his knights dedined to take arms and carry on the vrar, (for it was 
now the beginning of Lent,)^ and also because the king of Scotland 
and his men dared not give battle, and moreover, his own army 
was deficient in supplies, he therefore retired with his troops 
to the south of England, But, on the Friday of the week follow- 
ing the celebration of Easter [15th April], the king of Scotland, 
so frequently mentioned, with his execrable army, once more 
retamed to Northumberland, and with no less ferocity and cruelty 
than he had previously exhibited, he devastated first the sea-coast 
of the county, which on the former occasion had been left undis- 
turbed, and all those other portions besides which anywhere had 
escaped uninjured, and after that the greater part of the territory of 
St. Cuthbert, on the eastern side, between Durham and the sea. 
And both on this and the former occasion he in like manner 
destroyed, together with the husbandmen, many farms of the 
monks who served God and St. Cuthbert day and night. But 
St. Cuthbert at length took pity on his servants ; for, whilst his 
adherents were perpetrating these enormities, the king with his 
retinue took up his abode near Durham, and there a serious 
mutiny having arisen on account of a certain woman, the life of the 
king and his suite was placed in jeopardy by the Picts. Whilst 
under much apprehension from this danger, suddenly a false report 
was spread that a large army was approaching from the south 
of Britain ; so he with sdl his forces, leaving untouched their provi- 
•sions already prepared, fled unpursued towards their own country, 
and marching to Norham, which is in the territory of St. Cuthbert, 
and laying siege to it, endeavoured to assault and reduce it by 
various [dans and devices. And while he remained there occupied 
in the siege, he despatched his nephew William, son of Duncan, on 
an expedition into Yorkshire, with the Picts and a portion of his 
army. When they had arrived there, and had gained the victory, 
on account of the sins of the people, they destroyed by fire and 
sword the main part of the possessions of a splendid monastery 
situated in Southemess, and in the district called Craven. Then, 
sparing no rank, no age, no sex, no condition, they first massacred, in 
the most barbarous manner possible, children and kindred in the 
sight of their relatives, masters in sight of their servants, and 
servants in the sight of their masters, and husbands before the eyes 
of their wives; and then (horrible to relate) they carried off, like 
so much booty, the noble matrons and chaste virgins, together 
with other women. These naked, fettered, herded together, by 
whips and thongs they drove before them, goading them with their 
spears and other weapons. This took place in other wars, but in 
this to a far greater extent. Afterwards, when they were distributed 
along with the other booty, a few from motives of pity restored 
some of them to liberty, at the church of St. Mary in Carlisle ; but 
the Picts and many others carried off those who fell to their share, 
to their own coimtry. And finally, these brutal men, making no 
account of adultery, incest, or sudi crimes, when tired of abusing 

> Aih-WedneidAy fi^ this year upon Febnutfj 16. 



46 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [jLD. 118& 

these poor wretches like unto animals, made them their slaves, or 
sold them for cattle to other barbarians. 

The king of Scots and his men received these tidings widi 
great exultation, and applied themselves to the capture of tht 
fortress before-named with still greater energy. The townsmen at 
first defended themselves with great vigour, but afterwards being 
few, and many of them wounded, (there being only nine knights,) 
despairing also of aid from their lord Geoffrey, bishop of Durham, 
and being besides inexperienced in such stru^les, they in dismay 
surrendered to the king, while as yet the wall was in good con- 
dition, the tower very strong, and their provisions abundant. The 
soldiers, consequently, and those who were in the town, incurred 
great obloquy, because they had made a feeble resistance, and had 
too readily given up the castle ; and not only were they censured, 
but their lord also, because he had not garrisoned his fortress 
according to his means, and as the necessities of the period required. 
The knights retired with their men to Durham. So the king, having 
captured the town, and taken the provisions which were there stored 
up in much abundance, intimated to the bishop that if he would 
desert Stephen, king of England, and swear fealty to his party, he 
would restore the castle to him, and make good the damage which 
it had sustained. This the bishop refused, and the king, therefore, 
caused the town to be dismantled. 

While these events occurred there, about Rogation * time, the 
soldiers sallying from the town of Wark, seized under their walls 
king David's supplies, which had to pass close by them, together 
with the waggons and the attendants. The king, excessively en-* 
raged at this, hastened with his whole force to besiege them, and 
by batteries and all the means in his power he again proceeded 
to assail it. But by God's blessing all his endeavours fell fruitless. 
Many of his men were wounded and disabled, and some slain* 
likewise, in the conflicts which before this siege had been fought 
with the king's son Henry, some were killed, others wounded 
or taken prisoners, and ransom received for them. Blessed be 
God over all, who protecteth the righteous, but overthroweth the 
wicked ! The king then, perceiving that his attempts upon the 
town were useless, caused the crops to be consumed on the ground, 
and then levying from his own country, and whencesoever else he 
could, a larger force than ever before, he united his troops into one 
body. Moreover Eustace Fitz-John, one of the barons of the 
king of England, who held a very strong fortress in Northumber- 
land, caDed Alnwick, and had long secretly favoured the king of 
Scotland, now openly showing his treachery, threw off his allegiance 
to his lawful sovereign, the king of England, and with his whole 
strength gave his aid to the Scots against the realm of England. 
Leading with him no inconsiderable number of fighting men, he 
marched with the king of Scotland to ravage Yorkshire, and had 
made arrangements to give up to the king of Scotland and 
his party another strong castle of his called Malton, situated in that 
province on the river Derwent, not far from York, of which we shaU 

^ Rogation Stmday fell upon May 8. 



i.lX 11S&] HiarTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 47 

have to say more hereafter. King David then» consigning the 
siege of Wark to two of the thanes (Uiat is to say, his barons), with 
their retainers, marched with most of his army to the town called 
Bamborough, where having taken an outwork of the castle, he killed 
nearly a hundred men. And then having destroyed the crops 
around that place, and around William Bertram's town of Mitfoixi« 
and in many other parts of Northumberland, he crossed the river 
Tjne. Entering the territory of St. Cuthbert, he there waited for 
a portion of his army which had not yet joined him, and at his 
summons the Picts, and Cumbrians, and the men of Carlisle and 
the adjoining district, came to him without delay. The whole army 
beii^ thus assembled, he regarded it with unbounded exultation; 
for it appeared to him immense and invincible, and in truth it was 
very large, consisting of more than twenty-six thousand men. His 
heart and the hearts of his men were lifted up, and. putting their 
trust in themselves and their numbers, and having no fear of God, 
they spoke boastfully and proudly. They both designed and 
threatened to give to destruction not only Yorkshire, but the greatest 
part of .England; for, with such a host, they did not imagine that 
any one would venture or be able to resist them. These transac* 
tions occurred within the octave of the Nativity of St. Mary 
[8 — 15th Sept.] ; and the king then passing by Durham, destroyed 
the crops as far as the river Tees, and, according to his usual prac* 
tice, caused the towns and churches which had previously escaped 
uninjured to be dismantled, plundered, and burnt. Crossing the 
Tees, he commenced a simUar career of violence. But God's 
mercy, being moved by the tears of innumerable widows, orphans, 
and victims, no longer permitted such wickedness to remain un- 
chastised. For whilst he and his men were engaged in this course 
of outrage, information of his crimes, his proceedings, and his 
designs was conveyed to the men of Yorkshire, both by common 
report and by sure intelligence; whereupon the barons of that 
province, to wit, archbishop Turstin (who, as will presently appear, 
greatly exerted himself in this emergency), William de Albemarle, 
Walter de Gant, Robert de Bruce, Roger de Mowbray, Walter 
Espec, Ilbert de Lacy, William de Percy, Richard de Courcy, 
William Fossard, Robert de Stuteyille, and other powerful and 
sagacious men, assembled at York, and anxiously deliberated as to 
what course should be pursued at this crisis. Much irresolution 
was caused by distrust of each other, arising from suspicions of 
treachery, by the absence of a chief and leader of the war (for their 
sovereign, king Stephen, encompassed by equal difficulties in the 
south of England, was just then unable to join them), and by their 
dread of encountering, with an inadequate force, so great a host ; 
so that it appeared as if they would actually have abandoned the 
defence of themselves and their country, had not their archbishop* 
Turstin, a man of great firmness and worth, animated them by his 
counsel and exhortations. For, being the shepherd of their souls« 
he would not, Uke a hireUng on the approach of the wolf, seek 
«iety in flight, but rather, pierced with the deepest emotions 
of pity at the dispersion and ruin of his flock, he applied all his 



48 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF EN6IAND. [▲.&. 1188» 

energy and labours to coiinteract these great evils. Wherefore, by the 
authority of his divine commission, and the royal warrant with which 
on that occasion he was provided, he boldly ui^ged them, by their 
loyalty and their honour, not to allow themselves through cowardice 
to be prostrated at one blow by utter savages ; but that rather they 
all, with their dependants, should seek God's favour by true re- 
pentance, and turning with all their heart to Him whose wrath 
these many and heavy evils proved that they deserved, they should 
then act with the coi^dence and courage demanded in so pressing 
an emergency. If they acted thus devotedly, trusting in God's 
mercy, he assured them of victory ; for that infamous people were 
directing their hostile endeavours against God and holy church 
rather than against them, and therefore were fighting in a cause un- 
righteous, nay rather accursed. But their cause was a just and most 
holy one, inasmuch as they were encountering peril in defence of 
holy church and of their country ; and if so be it should please God 
that this contest should not terminate without the loss of some of 
them, yet, by those who were fighting with such an object, death was 
not to be feared, but rather desired. He promised diem also, that 
the priests of his diocese, bearing crosses, should march with them to 
batue with their parishioners, and that he also, God willing, designed 
to be present with his men in the engagement. 

At this period of perplexity one of Uie nobles of that province* 
Bernard de Baliol, sent to them by the king of England, arrived 
with a number of knights ; and, on the king's part and his own, he 
greatly aroused their energy to the same efiect. Thus incited by 
the charge of the king and their archbishop, coming unanimously 
to one decision, they returned to their own abodes ; and shortly 
after again met at York, each fully equipped and armed for battle. 
Having there made private confession, the archbishop enjoined on 
them and the whole populace a three days' fast with almsgiving; 
after which he solemnly absolved them, and gave them God's 
blessing and his own. And although he was himself so greatly 
reduced by age and infirmity, that he had to be carried on a litter 
where need was, yet, in order to animate their courage, he would 
readily have accompanied them to the field of battle. But they 
compelled him to stay behind, begging that he would employ him- 
self in interceding for them by prayers and alms, by vigils and fasts» 
and other sacred observances ; while they (as God would deign to 
aid them, and as their position demanded) would cheerfully go 
forth against the enemy, in defence of God's church, and of him 
who was his minister. So he consigned to them his cross, and the 
standard of St. Peter, and his retainers ; and they proceeded to the 
town called Thirsk, from whence they despatched Robert de Bruce 
and Bernard de Baliol to the king of Scotland, who was then, as 
has been said, devastating the territory of St. Cuthbert. They very 
humbly and courteously besought him that he would at least desist 
from his acts of ferocity; and faithfully promised him that if he 
would accedj^ to their request, they would obtain from the king of 
England the earldom of Northumberland, which he claimed for his 
son Henry. But he, together with his followers, with a hardened 



X9.11S8.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 49 

heart, spumed their solicitation, and disdainfully taunted them. 
They therefore returned to their associates, Robert abjuring the 
homage he had rendered him, and Bernard the fealty which he had 
sworn to him on one occasion when he had been taken prisoner by 
him. All the nobles, therefore, of that province, and William 
Peverel and Geoffrey Halsalin from Nottinghamshire, and Robert 
de Ferrers from Deroyshire, and other eminent and sagacious men, 
made a compact amongst themselves, which they confirmed by 
oaths, that not one of them, in this difficulty, would desert another 
while he had the power to aid him; and thus all would either 
perish or conquer together. At the same time the archbishop sent 
to them Ralph, sumamed Novellus, bishop of Orkney, with one of 
his archdeacons and other clergy, who, as his delegate, should 
impose penance and give absolution to the people who daily flocked 
to them from every quarter. He also sent to them, as he had pro- 
mised, the priests with their parishioners. While thus waiting the 
approach of the Scots, the scouts whom they had sent forwani to 
reconnoitre returned, bringing the information that the king with 
his army had already passed the river Tees, and was ravaging their 
province in his wonted manner. They therefore hastened to resist 
them ; and passing the village of Alverton [North Allerton], they 
arrived early in the morning at a plain distant from it about two 
miles. Some of them soon erected, in the centre of a frame which 
they brought, the mast of a ship, to which they gave the name of 
the Standsuxi; whence those lines of Hugh Sotevagina,' archdeacon 
of York :— 

" Our gallant Hand by aU confest. 
Be this the Stcmdar^t fight; 
Where death or victoxy the test, 
That proyed the warriors' might." 

On the top of this pole they hung a silver pix containing the Host, 
and the banner of St. Peter the Apostle, and John of Beverley 
and Wilfrid of Ripon, confessors and bishops. In doing this, 
their hope was that our Lord Jesus Christ, by the efficacy of his 
Body, might be their leader in the contest in which they were 
engaging in defence of his church and their country. By this 
means diey also provided for their men, that, in the event of their 
being cut off and separated from them, they might observe some 
certain and conspicuous rallying-point, by which they might rejoin 
their comrades, and where they would receive succour. 

Scarcely, then, had they put themselves in battle array, when 
tidings were brought that the king of Scotland was close at hand 
with his whole force, ready and eager for the contest. The greater 
part of the knights, then dismounting, became foot soldiers, a 
chosen body of whom, interspersed with archers, were arranged in 
the front rank. The others, with the exception of those who were 
to dispose and rally the forces, mustered with the barons in the 
centre, near and around the standard, and were enclosed by the 
rest of the host, who closed in on all sides. The troop of cavalry 

' Some of the poems of this individual are preserved in the Cotton MS. ViteU. 
A. ziL, in which he is styled chanter and archdeacon of the chnrch of St Peter's 
of York. 

VOL. IV. E 



50 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [A.a 1188. 

and the horses of the knights were stationed at a little distance, lest 
diey should take fright at the shouting and uproar of the Scots. In 
like manner, on the enemy's side, the king and almost all his fol- 
lowers were on foot, their horses being kept at a distance. In front 
of the battle were the Picts; in the centre, the king with his 
knights and English;^ the rest of the barbarian host poured roaring 
around them. 

As they advanced in this order to battle, the standard with its 
banners became visible at no great distance ; and at once the 
hearts of the king and his followers were overpowered by extreme 
terror and consternation ; yet, persisting in their wickedness, they 
pressed on to accomplish their bad ends. On the octaves of the 
Assumption of St. Mary, being Monday, the eleventh of the kalends 
of September [22d Aug.], between the first and third hours, the 
struggle of this battle was begun and finished. For numberless 
Picts being slain immediately on the first attack, the rest, throwing 
down their arms, disgracefully fied. The plain was strewed with 
corpses; very many were taken prisoners; the king and all the 
others took to flight; and at length, of that immense army all 
were either slain, captured, or scattered as sheep without a ^p- 
herd. They fled like persons bereft of reason, in a marvellous 
manner, into the adjoining district of their adversaries, increasing 
their distance from their own country, instead of retreating towards 
it. But wherever they were discovered, they were put to death like 
Ht sheep for the slaughter ; and thus, by the righteous judgment of 

God, those who had cruelly massacred multitudes, and left them un- 
buried, and giving them neither their country's nor a foreign rite of 
burial, — left a prey to the dogs, the birds, and the wild beasts, — ^were 
either dismembered and torn to pieces, or decayed and putrefied in 
the open air. The king also, who, in the haughtiness of his mind 
and the power of his army, seemed a little before to reach with his 
head even to the stars of heaven, and threatened ruin to the whole 
or greatest part of England, now dishonoured and meanly attended, 
t)arely escaped with his life, in the utmost ignominy and dismay. 
The power of Divine vengeance was also most plainly exhibited in 
this, that the army of the vanquished was incalculably greater than 
that of the conquerors. No estimate could be formed of the 
number of the slain; for, as many affirm, of that army which came 
out of Scotland alone, it was computed by the survivors that more 
than ten thousand were missing; and in various localities of the 
Deirans, Bernicians, Northumbrians, and Cumbrians, many more 
perished after the fight than fell in the battle. 

The army of the English having, by God's help, with a small loss, 
thus easily obtained the victory, and taken possession of the spoil, 
which was found in great abundance, was very speedily disbanded; 
and all returning to dieir homes, they restored with joy and thanks- 
giving to the churches of the saints the banners which they had 
received. They had gone forth to this battle in their gayest array, 
and with costly splendour, as to a royal marriage. Some of the 

' ThaX is, those of Saxon or Nomina origin, as distinguished from the C«ltie 
inhabitants of Scotland. 



▲a 113d.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 51 

barons, with a portion of the army, inarched to Eustace's town, 
called Malton, mentioned above; and having destroyed the suburb, 
they laid siege to it, because, during the fight, the soldiers had 
salhed from it by orders of their lord, and set fire to many villages. 
A truce of eight days was arranged, after which the siege continued. 
The ground on which the above battle was fought was alone the 
possession of St. Cuthbert, the whole surrounding district being 
owned by others; and this occurred not by design of th^ com- 
batants, but by the dispensation of Providence ; for it may clearly 
be observed that Divine justice would not long allow to go un- 

r'shed the iniquity that had been perpetrated in the territory of 
holy and beloved confessor and bishop, but would speedily 
visit it with wonted vengeance. 

The king of England received the news of this event with ex- 
treme joy ; and. being informed that they had greatly distinguished 
themsdves in this affair, he created William de Albemarle earl in 
Yorkshire, and Robert de Ferrers earl in Derbyshire. And it is 
to be remarked that, about this time, fortune in a Uke manner 
befriended himself and his supporters, both in the south of Eng- 
land and in Normandy, in their encounters with their opponents. 
The king of Scotland added fresh force to the siege of Wark, upon 
being rejoined by his son Henry, and reassembUng his men, who 
had fled from the fight separately, rather like bitter foes than com- 
radesf ; for when these Angles, Scots, Picts, and other barbarians, 
experience a disaster, those who have the power either murder, 
wound, or at the least despoil the others, and then, by the righteous 
judgment of God, they were cut off by their allies as well as their 
foes. The king, upon hearing these facts, imposed upon his sub- 
jects heavy penalties and fines, and drew from them an immense 
sum of money; at the same time, he bound them more strongly 
than ever before, by oaths and pledges, never more to abandon him 
in war. He then endeavoured by engines, new constructions, and 
various devices, to gain possession of the town of Wark. The 
townsmen, however, destroyed his engines, killed in various ways 
several of the king's men, and wounded many, with a loss of only 
one of their own soldiers, who V^as cut off and slain by a multitude 
of the Scots who had saUied from the castle, and he, rashly con- 
fident in his own valour, was staying to demolish one of the 
engines. The king at length, seeing all his endeavours ineffectual, 
and damaging to himself and his troops, removed his engines 
relinquished die assault, and enforced a strict blockade of the town, 
much against the inclination of his followers ; for in consequence 
of the great losses, difficulties, and destitution which they had there 
endured, they were completely worn out by the protracted siege. 

At this time certain lawless persons, whose sole study and de- 
light was to plan and perpetrate crimes, banded themselves together 
in a detestable alliance, the more effectually to carry out their 
designs of mischief. The chiefs and leaders of this abominable 
fraternity were Edgar, the illegitimate son of earl Cospatrick, and 
Robert and Uctred, sons of Meldred. Urged, therefore, by rapacity, 
encouraged by impunity, and frenzied by passion, they overran 

E 2 



52 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [ajx II38. 

Northumberland like wolves, seeking whom they might devour; 
and crossing the river Tyne, they came upon the territory of St 
Cuthbert, but lighting upon nothing there which it was within 
their power or their daring to seize, they returned empty-handed. 
They then carried off all the booty they could obtain in a village of 
the parish of Hexham, called Herintun [Errington]. Two ni^ 
after these same robbers attacked another village called Digenton 
[Denton]. This village was the property of the canons of the churdi 
aforesaid, and was distant eight miles east of Hexham. Having slain 
three of the canons' servants, and heaped many insults on thdr 
prior, who had happened to arrive unexpectedly that night, they 
marched off with their spoil. This mischance befel these canons 
contrary to their expectation, inasmuch as the king of Scotland 
had promised, as well for himself as for all his followers, (as vas 
before said,) the most absolute security to them, their vassals, their 
effects, their parish, and expressly this very village. 

About this period Alberic, bishop of Ostia, arrived in these 

[)arts, having been sent by pope Innocent to fulfil the olBce of 
egate in England and Scotland. By birth he was a Frenchman, 
by profession a monk of the Clugniac order, eminent for leamiog, 
sacred and secular, of much experience in ecclesiastical affidrs, of 
remarkable eloquence and sound judgment ; and, what is far beyond 
all this, he gave proof in demeanour and appearance, and in fact in 
his whole conversation and conduct, of great goodness and piety. En- 
tering Clugny on his first profession, he, by his discretion and piety, 
attained the office of sub-prior, where, in consequence, the whole 
charge of the ritual observance came under his supervision. After- 
wards, in France, he for some time filled the office of prior in the 
religious house known as St. Martin des Champs ; but inasmuch 
as he was of great service, and in high esteem amongst his bre- 
thren, he was some years after recalled to occupy the position of 
sub-prior at home. From this he was chosen to preside as abbot 
over the monastery of Vezeley,* and thence, by canonical election, 
he was elevated to the bishopric of the church of Ostia. To the 
bishops of this church pertained, by a dignity of long standing, the 
privilege of consecrating the pope himself. Coming (as we have 
said) to England, he afforded to all his faithful sons much satis- 
faction as to the condition of the holy mother dmrch of Rome ; for 
the sovereign pontiff above named sent by him his epistle to all the 
children of the Catholic church. In it he related how the vessel 
of St. Peter had toiled on heavily, having been long and violently 
agitated by opposing billows, and thrown, shaken and shattered, on 
the rocks of schismatics, and was well-nigh past hope of recovery, 
since, unhappily, for eight years it had been exposed to havoc and 
pollution, inexpressible and accursed, which had been inflicted 
on it by that first- bom of Satan, Petrus Leo,' and his supporters. 
But this there was no need to dwell upon, for it had been known 
and lamented by almost the whole world. But the infinite mercy 

^ A monastery in the dioceae of Autun. See concerning it and this individiii], 
Mabill. Annal. ord. S. Bened. a.d. 1138, § 16. 

' Anaolet II., reckoned among the antipopes. See Baron. AnnaL A.D. 1130, $ S. 



▲a 1188.] HISTORY OF THE ACT^ OF KING STEPHEN. 53 

of Christ, though it seemed to slumber, and, for our sins, to pay 
no r^ard,, nevertheless, moved at length and aroused by the 
earnest prayers and tears of his faithful people, stilled by the 
mighty word of his power the raging of the sea, the violence 
of the winds, and the fury of the tempest, changing. the storm 
into a favouring breeze. He brought the church to rest in the 
haven of peace and the joy of security. Moreover, He turned 
the arrogance and glorying of all her enemies to prostration and 
ignominy, and brought the neoks of all who opposed her under 
the yoke of her power. We may therefore justly exclaim with the 
P^ahnbt, " O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy name in 
all the wprld. Thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens." 
[Ps. viii. 1.] 

Besides die epistle which thus spoke of the recovery of peace 
and unity to the holy Roman church, and the restoration of the 
apostolic power and dignity, Alberic brought also letters warranting 
his mission, addressed by the pope aforesaid to the kings of Eng- 
land and Scotland, to Thurstin, archbishop of York, (the metro- 
politan see of Canterbury being at that time vacant,) and to the 
bishops, abbots, and prelates of holy church in both kingdoms ; he 
was therefore received by all with respect. He also brought with 
him from the continent the abbot * of the monastery of Molesme, 
with several monks ; and immediately on his arrival in England he 
summoned to his side one other, named Richard, abbot of the 
monasterv called Fountains, a very religious man of great influence : 
these truly wise and virtuous men were the constant companions 
and witnesses of his life and course of action. In order that he 
might avail himself of their advice and assistance in the transaction 
of affairs, and that by their testimony the uprightness of his 
conduct might be fully evidenced, he made the circuit of nearly 
the whole of England, visiting the cathedral churches and the 
monasteries of both clerics and monks, at each of which he was 
received with due reverence. He at length reached Durban^* where 
at this time William Cumin, chancellor of David, king of Scotland, 
was kept in confinement, having been taken prisoner in his flight 
from the battle above mentioned. He delivered him at once from 
his imprisonment, and restored him in freedom to his sovereign. 
Then, accompanied by two bishops, Robert of Hereford and Athel- 
wulf of Carlisle, three abbots, and several clergy, he came over the 
moors to the monastery of Hexham, at whidb place he was en- 
tertained by the brethren with all fitting honour ; and with much 
consideration, he cheered th$m under the injury which they had 
recently sustained by the loss of their men and the pillaging of 
their territory, as we have just narrated. Passing thence through 
Northumberland and Cumberland, he arrived at Carlisle four days 
before the feast of St. Michael [29th Sept.], and there met the 
king of Scotland, with the bishops, abbots, priors, and barons of 
his coimtry. They, differing widely from the Cisalpine — and in- 
deed, from almost the whole church — appear to have inclined in 

* ETemd, abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Molesme, in the diocese of 
Luigrea. See Qidlia Christ, iv. 783. 



54 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.!». llMw 

a great degree to the schism of Peter Leo of execrable memory ; 
but now, through the influence of Divine grace, they one and ail 
received with great veneration the missive of pope Innocent and 
his legate. For three days, then, he was busily employed with 
them on the affairs of his mission. He was informed that John, 
bishop of Glasgow, committing to no one the cure of soub whidi 
he held, had clandestinely, without leave, resigned his bisho|Hic, 
and, for no apparent reason, had become a monJc at Tiroo ; where- 
upon he determined in his case that a king's messenger, with 
letters from himself and the king, should be sent for him, and in 
the event of his refusal to return home, that sentence should be 
pronounced against him ; and this was done accordingly. He also 
n^otiated with the king concerning the renewal of a peace between 
him and the king of England, and on this behalf entreated him to 
take pity on holy church, and on himself and his people, on whom 
he had brought so many and great evils ; but he with difficulty 
obtained a suspension of hostilities, to the extent that, excq>tii^ 
the investment of Wark, he would send no force, and mdke no 
aggression upon the territory of the king of En^and before the 
feast of St Martin [Uth Nov.]. He al^ obtained this from the 
Picts, that before the same period they would bring to Carlide aU 
the girls and women whom they held captive, and there restore them 
to liberty. They also, and all the otiiers, promised him most faith- 
fully that they would not i^ain in any way violate churches, and 
that they womd spare children and females, and persons enfeebled 
by age and infirmity, and, in short, would slay none but those en- 
gaged in actual conflict. Moreover, the king, unsolidted, dis- 
coursed with the prior of Hexham, who had come with the legate, 
concerning the loss sustained by himself and his brethren, which 
he much lamented, and for which he promised full indemnification, 
and also that he would compel his people to make amends for the 
injury done to them and their church, and for the slaughter ot 
their men. And this he in a great measure fulfilled ; for nearly 
all their property, and that of their vassals, was restored. 

Tliese afiairs being tiius arranged, the legate taking his d^arture 
on the feast of St. Michael [29^ Sept.], returned by way of Hex- 
ham and Durham to the south of England, and rdated to Stephen, 
king of En^and, what he had accomplished with David, king of 
Scotland, and his people. The king of Scotland, a few days after, 
learnt from some who had come out of Wark, that those in the town 
were reduced to great extremity by famine ; and, in consequence, 
he enforced a still more strict blod^ade. This indeed was the 
case, for the garrison, frt)m want of provisions, had killed and salted 
their horses, and had already consumed the greater part of them, 
but were, nevertheless, unwUling to surrender the town, and in- 
deed designed, when food altogether failed them, to sally armed 
frt)m the fortress, charge through the enemy, and defend themselves 
to the last, unless in the meanwhile God should provide for them 
some other resource. About the feast of St. Martin [1 1th Nov.], 
William, abbot of Rievaux, came into that province, and, on the 
part of Walter Espec, to whom, as before said, the town belonged. 



A.D. 1188.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 56 

charged them to yield it to the king of Scotland, for he was well 
aware how wofiilly they were reduced by famine. The king ther^ 
upon, by the mediation of the abbot, gave diem twenty-five horsey, 
and allowed them to inarch out with their arms ; and being put in 
possession of the town, he speedily caused it to be dismantled. 
The above-named legate, on his return, as before mentioned, from 
his visitation of the sees and monasteries to the court of the king 
of Ex^Jand, m€t there another legate, who had just arrived from 
the sovereign pope Innocent. They consequently issued a sum- 
mons to Thurstin, archbishop of York« and all the bishops, abbots, 
and priors of canons throughout England, to assemble at a general 
council in the city of London, on £he feast of St. Nicholas [6th 
Dec]. Hey met at the appointed time and place with Stephen, 
king of England, and both legates entered with them upon the 
discission ol the affairs of the church ; Alberic, however, took 
precedence. The council was to the following effect : — 

" In the year of our Lord 1138, the nind^ year of the ponti- 
ficate of the sovereign pope Innocent the second, the third year of 
the reign of the most pious and illustrious Stephen, king ot the 
English, nephew of the great king Henry, the s^od of London 
was held in the church of St. Peter, the chief of the apostles, at 
Westminster, in the month of December, on the thirteenth day of 
the month, at which, after the discussion of many questions, these 
canons, seventeen in number, were issued and unanimously con*- 
firmed. Alberic, bishop of Ostia, and legate in England and 
Scotland of the aforesaid pope Innocent, presided over ^s synod, 
where there were assembled eighteen bishops of various provinces, 
about thirty abbots, and a countless multitude of clergy and laity. 
The see of Canterbury was at that time vacant, and Thurstin, 
archbishop of York, was out of health, but he sent thither William, 
dean of the church of St. Peter at York, with some of his clergy. 
Hie following are the canons : — 

" ' FoUowii^ the canonical institutes of the holy fathers, we, by 
apostolic authority, prohibit the exaction of any fee whatever for 
durisms, for oil, for baptism, for absolution, for the visitation of the 
sick, for the betrothal of women, for unction, for the communion 
of Christ's Body, or for burial. Whoever shall dare to do so, let 
him be excommunicate. 

" ' We enact, also, that the Body of Christ be not received beyond 
eight days, and be not carried to the sick except by the priest or 
deaoonst, or, in extreme necessity, by some other, and this with the 
greatest reverence. 

" ' Likewise we enact, by apostolic authority, that at the consecra- 
tion of bishops, and the benediction of abbots, neither a hood, nor 
ecclesiastical vestment, nor anything be demanded from the bishop 
or his ministers ; and also, in the consecrati<Hi of churches, no <ie- 
inand shall be made for tapestry, towel, or basin, or anythii^ beyond 
the fee allowed by the sacred canons. 

" ' When any bishop shall procure the consecration of a church in 
his diocese by another bishop, we, by apostolic authority, prohibit 
any 4^^^^^ being made beyond that bishop's fee. 



56 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAJID. [a.1Iu 1U8L 



"/ No one shall receive from Uy hands a dmicfa, or any ecclesias- 
tical benefice whatever. When any one receives investiture from 
the bishop, we direct that he shall take oath upon die Gospda that 
he has not on this account given or pronused anything to any one 
by himself or another ; and where this has been done, the jniesenta- 
tion shall be void, and both giver and acceptcnr shall be subject to 
canonical judgment. 

" ' We further enact, that no one shall claim by inheritance any 
church or other ecclesiastical benefice held by his father ; and no 
one shall appoint a successor to himself in any ecdesiasticai boie- 
fice ; and where this is done we decree it to be void, sayii^ with 
the Psalmist, " O my God, make them like unto a wheel who have 
said. Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.' 
[Ps. bmriii. 13.] 

" ' Clergy ordained by other than their own bishops, without 
letters dimissory, we suspend firom the functions of the ordos 
which they have received, and their plenary restitution shall rest widi 
the Roman pontiff alone, unless they assume the religious habit 

" ' Walking in the steps of the holy fathers, we deprive of ecdesias- 
ticai functions and benefices all priests, deacons, and subdeacons. 
married or living in concubinage, and, by apostolic authority, we 
forbid all persons from hearing a mass celebrated by such. 

" ' We decree the removal ^m every ecclesiastical function and 
benefice of those clergy who practise usury, or follow filthy lucre, or 
engage in secular business. 

" ' If any one shall kill, imprison, or assault any cleric, monk, nun, 
or any ecclesiastical person whatever, unless at the third summons 
he make satisfaction, he shall be excommunicate. Nor shall any 
one except the Roman pontiff give him absolution, unless at the 
point of death; and if he die impenitent, his body shall not receive 
sepulture. 

" * Whosoever shall seize by violence the property of churdhes, 
whether moveable or fixed, we pronounce him excommunicate, 
unless after canonical citation he make amends. 

" ' We, by apostolic authority, prohibit any one from foundii^ on 
his estate a church or oratory without licence from the bishop. 

" * To these we subjoin the judgment of pope Nicholas, who says, 
" Inasmuch as the soldiers of Christ differ from the soldiers of die 
world, it is not meet that the soldier of the church should engage 
in secular warfare, of which the shedding of blood must be the 
result. In short, as it is disgraceful that a laic perform mass, or 
administer the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, so it is 
absurd and improper for a cleric to bear arms or engage in war ; 
as the apostle Paul says, ' No man that warreth for God entangleth 
himself,' &c. (2Tim. ii. 4.)" 

•• • We likewise approve the judgment of pope Innocent, conunu- 
nicated to Victricus, archbishop of Rouen, that monks who after 
residing in monasteries are advanced to the priesthood, should not in 
any degree deviate from their former rule; in the clerical rank they 
ought to live as when they resided in their monasteries, and not to 
abandon in a higher position the order which they have long observed. 



A.0.11S9.] HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF KING STEPHEN. 57 

"'By apostolic authority, we forbid nuns to use skins of vair 
or gris, sable, marten, ermine, or beaver, to wear gold rings, or to 
practise curling or braiding of the hair: whosoever shall be detected 
in the violation of this law shall be excommunicated. 

" ' By apostoUc authority, we decree due tithes of all first-fruits 
to be paid : any one who shall refuse payment of these tithes shall 
incur sentence of excommunication. 

" ' We further enact, that schoolmasters who shall let for hire 
the teaching of their schools to others, shall be liable to ecclesias- 
tical censure.' " 

The election of an archbishop to the see of Canterbury (which, 
as has been said, was then vacant) was agitated at this council, and 
this matterwas brought to a conclusion after the following Epiphany, 
when the abbot of the monastery of Bee, Theobald by name, was 
consecrated^ by the aforesaid Alberic, archbishop of that church. 
At the same council the abbot of Croyland was deposed, and an- 
other substituted in his room, namely, Godfrey, prior of the church 
of St. Alban the Martyr ; and Adam was elected abbot of the abbey 
near Hastings, called Battle: upon both of these the aforesaid Alberic 
bestowed the benediction. He also invited all the bishops and 
many of the abbots of England to a general council, which the 
sovereign pope Innocent was about to hold at Rome in the middle 
of Leot. During the course of these proceedings, he was engaged 
most discreetly and earnestly in treating with several persons, and 
especially with the queen of England, respecting the renewal of 
peace between the two kings. Finding that the queen's mind was 
much set upon the accomplishment of this object, with her me- 
diation, and backed by her feminine shrewdness and address, he 
frequently appealed to the king himself regarding this matter. They 
foimd him at first stem, and apparently opposed to a reconciliation ; 
for many of his barons who had suffered severe losses from their 
variance, eagerly urged him on no account to make peace with the 
king of Scotland, but boldly to avenge himself upon him ; but not- 
withstanding all this, the izeal of a woman's heart, ignoring defeat, 
persisted night and day in every species of importunity, till it suc- 
ceeded in bending the king's mind to its purpose. For she was 
warmly attached to her unde David, king of Scotland, and his son 
Henry, her cousin, and on that account took the greatest pains to 
reconcile them to her husband. The legate, seeing the affair pro- 
gressing in this way, derived fresh confidence in his intercourse with 
the king, from the better hope which had sprung up, and gave his 
attention to his other concerns. 

A.D. 1139. The l^te, so frequently mentioned, having com- 
pleted his business in England, repaired to the coasts with his asso- 
ciates soon after the octave of the Epiphany [Jan. 13], and crossed 
the sea on his return ; for he hastened to attend at the appointed 
time the council of the sovereign pope before mentioned. To 
represent the bishops and abbots of England, there went to the 
same council these five bishops, Theobald, archbishop of Canter- 
bury, Emulf. bishop of Rochester, Simon of Worcester, Roger 
* He was conBecrated 8th Jaouaxy, 11S9. Le Keve, i 8. 



58 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.I>. 11S9L 

of Coventry, and Robert of Exeter, and with them four abbots; 
for king &ephen wpuld not send any more on accoimt of the 
troubles of his kingdom, which were then very great. Moreover 
Thurstin, of happy memory, archbishop of York, sent thither 
Richard, abbot of Fountains, a highly excellent man, of whom we 
have spoken before, both on account of the council and of some 
other private business which he had commissioned him to transact; 
for it was generally asserted that he designed to relinquish his see, 
and to appoint in his stead, as archbishop of York, his own brother 
Audoenus, bishop of Evreux. But while this was in preparation, 
his envoy died at Rome, leaving the matter unaccompUshed, and 
also his brother, who before his death had assumed the religious 
habit of the monks at Merton, departed^ this life at that place. 
The archbishop of Canterbury, with his pall, the aforesaid bishops 
and abbots, when the council was over, and their business com- 
pleted, returned safe and sound. Soon after the aforesaid legate 
had left England, peace was concluded between the two kings, by 
means of envoys, on these terms: Stephen, king of England, 
granted to Henry, son of David, king of Scotland, the earldom of 
Northumberland, except two towns, Newcastle and Bamburgh, 
with all the lands which he held before. But for these towns he 
was bound to give him towns of the same value in the south of 
England. He directed also that the barons who held of the earl- 
dom, as many as chose, might make acknowledgment for their 
lands to earl Henry, and do homage to him, saving the fealty which 
they had vowed to himself ; and this the most of them did. The 
king of Scotland and his son Henry, with all their dependants, 
were bound thenceforward to remain for life amicable and faithful 
to Stephen, king of En^and. And to render their fidelity more 
secure, they were pledged to give him as hostages five earls of 
Scotland, the son of eari Cospatrick, the son of Hugh de Morville, 
the son of earl Fergus, the son of Mel . . . , and the son of Mac .... 
They were bound also to observe unalterably the laws, customs, 
and statutes which his uncle king Henry had established in the 
county of Northumberland. This agreement was signed at Durham 
on the fifth of the ides of April [April 9], by Henry, son of the king 
of Scotland, and their barons, in the presence of Matilda, queen of 
England, and many earls and barons of the south of England. 
This also was specially defined, that earl Henry could claim no 
right either over the territory of St. Cuthbert, or over that of St. 
Andrew in Hexham-shire, inasmuch as it appertained to the arch- 
bishop of York. Going with the queen to the court of king Stephen, 
he found him at Nottingham. What had been done at Durham 
being confirmed by him, he remained during the summer in 
southern England, frequenting the king's court, and incurring great 
expense in his service. In this year died Walter de Gant, who 
had assumed the monkish habit at Bardney ; and Robert de Ferrers, 
who was earl of Derbyshire. 

THE END OF THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD. 

> See Gallia Christ xi 575. 



CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 



CHRONICLE OP HOLYROOD. 



In the year seven hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of 
Rome, Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the forty-second 
year of the emperor Octovianus Augustus. In the one hundred 
and ninety-third year of the Olympiad, peace was proclaimed to 
the world upon the advent of Him who is the true peace. At this 
time in Rome, on the further side of the Tiber at the Tabema 
Meritoria, a fountain of oil welled out of the ground, and flowed 
with an abundant stream during the entire day; thereby intimating 
the grace of Christ to the Gentiles. At that time aLso, a circle, 
resembling the rainbow, appeared round the sun. Octovianus, the 
emperor, reigned for fifty-six years. 

A.D. 30. But in the fifteenth of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, our 
Lord Jesus Christ commenced his ministry ; and in the eighteenth 
year of the reign of the same emperor, Jesus Christ the Son of 
God, having offered Himself for us, was crucified. Tiberius reigned 
twenty-three years. 

A. D. 538. There was an eclipse of the sun upon the fourteenth 
of the kalends of January [19th Dec], from the first until the third 
hour. 

A. D. 540. llie sun was once more eclipsed, on the twelfth of the 
kalends of July [20th June], and for half-an-hour the stars were 
visible; from the third hour of the day until nearly the sixth. 

A.D. 547. Ida began his reign, ffom whom the royal race of the 
Northumbrians deduces its origin, and he continued to reign for 
twelve years. 

A.D. 565. Father Columba came from Ireland into Britain to 
instruct the Picts, and erected a monastery in the island of lona. 

A. D. 596. Pope Gregory, acting under God's directions, sent 
Augustine the servant of God, and many other God-fearing monks 
wi^ him, to preach the word of God to the English nation. This 
occurred in the fourteenth year of the said prince, and about a 
hundred and fifty years after the arrival of the Angles in Britain. 

A. D. 597. These teachers arrived in England in this the hundred 
and fiftieth year after the arrival of the Angles in Britain. 

A. D. 601 . Pope Gregory sent the pall into Britain for Augustine, 
who had now been made a bishop, and at the same time he 
despatched hither many ministers of the Word, the chief and most 
important of whom are Mellitus, Justus, Paulinus, and Rufinianus. 

A.D. 603. Edan, king of the Scots who inhabit Britain, marched 
against Aelfred, king of the Northumbrians, with an immense and 



62 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.n.6a8— 

powerful army ; but he was defeated, and escaped with only a few 
of his men. Nearly all his army was cut to pieces in that most 
celebrated place called Dexastan, tliat is. The stone of Dexa. Aelfrid 
fought this battle in the elevendi year of his reign ; that is, in the 
first year of Phocas, who at this time held the sceptre of the Roman 
empire. This same king Aelfrid reigned twenty-four years. 

A.D. 604. The Eastern Saxons received die Clu-istian faith 
through bishop Mellitus, while their king was Sigebert. St. Augus- 
tine ordained two bishops, namely, Mellitus, and Justus; the 
former, Melitus, to preadi in the province of the East Saxons, 
of which the metropolis is London ; the latter, Justus, he ordained 
to that city in Kent which is called Rochester. At this time died 
Augustine, that father beloved of God, upon the seventh of the 
kalends of June [26th May], during the reign of long Ethelbert. 
Laurence succeeded Augustine in tiie bishopric, whom, during his 
own lifetime, he had ordained for this purpose, to guard against the 
danger which might afiect this infant church, were it deprived of a 
pastor for even one single hour. 

A.D. 605. The blessed pope Gregory died, after having most 
gloriously ruled over the Roman see of the apostolic church, and 
was translated to an eternal residence in the kingdom of heaven. 
He governed the church during the time of the emperors Maurice 
and Phocas ; and in the second year of the reign of this Hiocas he 
departed from this life. 

A.D. 616, (being the twenty-first year since Augustine and his 
companions had been despatched to preach the gospel to the nation 
of the Angles,) Ethelbert, king of Kent, attained the joys of the 
kingdom of heaven, after having ruled over an earthly kingdom for 
fifty-three years, with the greatest reputation. He was the third 
of these kings of the nation of the Angles who governed all the 
provinces which are situated on the south of liie Humber, by 
which river they and the adjacent districts are separated from the 
northern ; but he was the first of them who ascended into the king- 
dom of heaven. The first whose sway was so extensive was Aelle, 
king of the Saxons upon the Humber ; the second was Coelin, 
king of the West Saxons, who in their dialect is called Ceaulin ; 
the third (as we have already stated) was Aethelbert, the king of 
Kent ; the fourth was Redwald, the king of the East Angles, who, 
even during the time of Aethelbert, consented that he should 
exercise authority over his people. The fifth was Eadwin, the 
king of the nation of the Northumbrians, that is, of that people 
which is situated in the district which lies towards the northern 
bank of the river Humber: he ruled with greater authority than 
any of his predecessors had done over the whole population, both 
of the Angles and the Britons, who inhabit Britain, with the sole 
exception of the men of Kent. Moreover, he reduced under the 
power of the Angles, the British islands, called the Mevanian 
islands, which are situated between Ireland and Britain. The sixth, 
was the most christian Oswald, also a king of the Northum- 
brians, whose kingdom was equally extensive. The seventh, was 
Oswin his brother, who for some time extended his realm in every 



A^n. eaS.] CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 63 

direcrtion; fiirthennore, he overcame the greater portion of the 
nations of the Picts and Scots, who inhabit the nc^them parts of 
Britain, and compelled them to pay tribute. 

£thelbert died on the twenty-fourth day of the month of Feb- 
ruary, after having been a believer for twenty-one years ; and was 
buried in St. Martin's aisle within the church of the blessed 
apostles Peter and Paul, where also queen Berta had previously 
been interred. This Aethelbert was the son of Irminric, who was 
the son of Oeric, sumamed Oysc, whose father was Hengist, who 
bad been invited into Britain along with his son Oysc, by Vorgitem. 
After the death of Aethelbald, his son Edbald assumed the reins of 
the government. 

A. D. 620. The blessed bishop Laurence ascended to the kingdom 
of heaven, and was buried on the fourth of the nones of February 
[2d Feb.], in the church of St. Peter the Apostle, near his prede- 
cessor Augustine. After him Mellitus, who had been bishop of 
London, obtained the see of the church of Canterbury; being the 
third in succession from Augustine. Justus was still alive, and 
governed the church of Rochester. 

A.D. 624. Archbishop Mellitus, after having governed his church 
for five years, departed to heaven during the reign of Eadbald, and 
was buried with his fathers in the monastery and church of the 
most blessed chief of the apostles, which we have so frequently 
mentioned, upon the eighth of the kalends of May [24th April]. 
He was inmiediately succeeded in his bishopric by Justus, who had 
been bishop of the church of Rochester; to which church he con- 
secrated Romanus as its bishop, having received authority to ordain 
bishops from pope Boniface. 

A.D. 625. Paulinus was ordained bishop of the nation of the 
Northumbrians by archbishop Justus, on the twelfth of the kalends 
of August [2l8t. Jul.]. 

A. D. 626. Eanfled, the daughter of king Edwin, and twelve 
others of his household, were baptized upon the Saturday before 
Pentecost [7th June]. 

A.D. 627. King Edwin, along with all the nobles of his realm, 
and a large number of his people, received the faith and the laver 
of holy regeneration, in the eleventh year of his reign, being about 
one hundred and eighty years after the arrival of the Angles in 
Britain. He was baptized at York upon the holy day of Easter, 
being the day before the ides of April [12th April], in the church 
of St. Peter the Apostle; and this church he had hurriedly built 
of wood, in order that he might be catechised and instructed so as 
to be prepared for baptism. He also gave an episcopal residence 
within this city to Paulinus, his instructor and bishop. 

A.D. 633. Seventeen years after Eadwin had most gloriously 
ruled the nation of the Angles and the Britons (during six of which 
he had been the servant of Christ], Cedwalla, the king of the 
Britons, rebelled i^nst him, having received assistance herein 
from Penda, a most energetic man, who was of the royal race of the 
Mercians, who also had himself at that time ruled this said nation 
for twenty-two years with varied fortunes. A severe battle having 



64 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.& 

been fought between them in the plain called Hatfeld, there Edwin 
was slain, on the fourth of the ides of October [12th Oct.], being 
then forty -eight years old, and the whole of his army was either 
dispersed or killed. In this same battle also fell one of his sons, 
named Osfrid, a valiant youth; the other, called Eadfrtd, was 
obliged to betake himself to king Penda, by whom he was afterwards 
put to death, in violation of his oath, during the reign of Oswald. 
Upon the slaughter of Eadwin, Paulinus returned to Kent. 

A.D. 634. Archbishop Justus was removed into the kingdom of 
heaven, upon the fourth of the ides of November [10th Nov.], and 
in his stead Honorius was elected to the see. He came for ordi- 
nation to Paulinus, and by him he was ordained at Lincoln, (where 
they met,) being the fifth archbishop of the church of Canterbury 
in succession from Augustine. Pope Honorius sent a pall and 
letters to him, in which he repeated the orders which he had already 
embodied in a letter transmitted to king E^win; namely, that when 
the archbishop of Canterbury shall die, his survivor in the same 
rank shall have the power of ordaining another bishop in the 
room of the deceased, and thus it should not be necessary to 
undertake the long and wearisome journey to the city of Rome, 
so far distant by sea and land, for the ordination of an arch- 
bishop. 

A. D. 640. On his departure ^m this life, Eadbald, king of 
Kent, left the reins of government to his son Erconbert, and 
he held them with the greatest reputation for twenty-four years and 
some months. He was the first of all the kings of the Angles who, 
by royal authority, commanded that idols should be abandoned and 
destroyed throughout all his realm, and also that the fast of the 
forty days [of Lent] should be observed; and in order that these 
his injunctions shoidd not be lightly disregarded by any person, he 
added that fitting and proper punishments should be inflicted upon 
the transgressors. His daughter Eorcangote, a child worthy of 
such a parent, was a virgin endowed with many virtues ; and she 
served the Lord in a monastery which had been erected within the 
realm of the Franks by a most noble abbess called Sara, ^ in a place 
called In Brigge. For as at that time very few monasteries had been 
built in the nation of the Angles, many persons were in the habit 
of going from Britain to those of the Franks, or into Gaul, for the 
sake of leading a monastic life; and they also sent their daughters 
thither, that t£ey might receive instruction, and then be joined to 
Christ their spouse. The greatest number were sent to the monas- 
teries of Brie, Chelles, and Andily. 

A.D. 642. Oswald, the most christian king of the Northum- 
brians, being then in the thirty-fifth year of his age, was killed upcm 
the fifth of August, in a terrible battle in which he had engaged with 
the heathen nation of the Mercians and their heathen king Penda, 
by whom his predecessor Edwin had also been slain. This place 
is called Maserfeld in the language of the Angles. His brother 
Oswin, a young man of about thirty years old, succeeded him in 

> Read Fara, and see Beda, E. H. § 172. 



▲•Ik068.] CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 65 

his earthly throne, and he held it for twenty-eight years; but with 
the greatest difficulty. 

A. D. 644. The most revered father Paulinus passed to the Lord 
upon the sixth of the ides of October [10th Oct.], being at this 
time bishop of the city of Rochester, but he had formerly been at 
York. He held the episcopate for nineteen years, two months, and 
twenty-one days ; and he was buried in the sacristy of the blessed 
apostle Andrew. To succeed him archbishop Honorius ordained 
Ytamar, a native of Kent, but equal to any of his predecessors in life 
and learning. 

A.D. 651. King Oswin was slain at a place called Ingetlingum, 
upon the thirteenth of the kalends of September [20th Aug.], in 
the ninth year of his reign. Bishop Aidan survived the death 
of this king, whom he loved so dearly, no longer than twelve days, 
having been removed from the world on the day before the kalends 
of September [31st Aug.], that he might receive from the Lord 
the eternal reward of his labours. 

A. D. 653. Having finished his course, archbishop Honorius 
departed from this life on the day before the kalends of October 
[dOth Sept.] ; and after the see had been unoccupied for one year 
and six months, Deusdedit, of the nation of the West Saxons, was 
elected the sixth archbishop of the church of Canterbury. He was 
ordained by Ytamar, bishop of the church of Rochester, who came 
to Canterbury for the purpose. This took place upon the seventh 
of the kalends of April [26th March] ; and he governed the church 
for nine years, four months, and two days. Upon his death, Ytamar 
consecrated in his stead Damian, a South Saxon by birth. The 
Middle Angles (that is to say, the Angles who inhabit tlie midland 
districts), along with their prince Peada, the son of king Penda, 
received the true faith and sacraments. 
. A. D. 655. Penda died, and the Mercians became Christians. 
. A. D. 659. Wulfhere, the son of Penda, succeeded to the king- 
dom of die Mercians, and he reigned seventeen years. 

A.D. 664. There was an eclipse of the sun on the second of 
May, about the tenth hour of die day. Also, in this year, there 
broxe out a sudden pestilence, which first devastated the southern 
districts of Britain, and then laid hold upon the province of the 
Northumbrians, which it ravaged far and wide for a considerable time 
with great fierceness, and killed a large number of the inhabitants. 
This plague was equally destructive in the island of Ireland. Deus- 
dedit, the sixth ardibishop of Canterbury, died on the day before the 
ides of July [14th July] ; and upon the same month and day died 
Erchonbert, king of Kent, leaving his royal seat to his son Etbert, 
which that individual occupied for nineteen years. Colman and his 
friends returned home, and Cedda and Wilfrid were ordained bishops 
of the Northumbrians, while the church of Canterbury continued 
unoccupied for no small time. 

A. D. 668. The monk Theodore was ordained bishop of Can- 
terbury by pope Vitalian, upon Sunday, the seventh of the kalends of 
April [26th March], and he and his companions were despatched 
upon their mission upon the sixth of the ides of June [8th June]. 

VOL. IV. F 



66 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.]X 669- 

Theodore was a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, a man well versed in seculai 
and divine literature, skilled in Greek and Latin, of an excellent dis- 
position, and venerable for his age, being sixty-six years old. H< 
reached his church on the second year after his ordination, on Sundai 
the sixth of the kalends of June [27th May], and he occupied K 
for twenty-one years, three months, and twenty-six days. 

A.D. 670, (being the second year since Theodore's arrival ii 
Britain,) Oswin, kmg of the NorUiumbrians, fell ill of the sicknea 
of which he died, being in the fifty-eighth year of his a^. At this 
time so attached was he to the instruction of the Koman and 
apostolic see, that he had resolved to go to Rome, and to end his 
days at the holy places, if he had recovered from this sidmeas ; 
and he had ofieied no small sum of money to bishop Wilfrid, il 
he would become his guide upon the journey. He died -upon tbc 
fifth of the kalends of March [25tli Feb.], leaving his son EgfirU 
as the heir of his kingdom. 

A. D. 673. Egbert, king of Kent, died in the month of July, anid 
his brother Lothere succeeded him in the kingdom, which he 
retained for eleven years and seven months. A synod was held al 
Hereford on the twenty-fourth of September, in the presence ol 
king Egfrid, and under the presidency of archbishop Theodore. 

A. D. 675. Wolf here, king of the Mercians, died, after havinj 
reigned seventeen years; and he left the government to his brotha 
Ethilerd. 

A. D. 676. Ethelred, king of the Mercians, at the head of a savage 
army devastated Kent, and defiled the monasteries, without an] 
regard to the fear of God. In this same year Cuthbert, thai 
servant of the Lord, went to Fame, and continued to be His soldia 
during eleven years with the most wonderful devotion. 

A.D. 678, (the eighth year of the reign of Egfrid,) a star, named 
a comet, appeared during the month of August; and it continued 
for three months, becoming visible in the morning, and exhibiting 
a lofty column of brilliant flame. In this year, also, there arose a 
disagreement between king Egfrid and the most reverend bishc^ 
Wilfrid, in consequence of which the bishop was expelled from hu 
episcopal see, and in his stead Theodore, the archbishop, ordained 
Bosa, Eatha, and Eaded as bishops. 

A. D. 679, (being the ninth year of the reign of Egfrid,) a greal 
battle was fought between Egfrid and Ethelred the kii^ ^f the 
Mercians near the river Trent, in which fell Elwin, the hrotliar ol 
king Egfrid, a youth of about eighteen years old, much beloved bj 
botih of the provinces. King Eailred had married his sister, who was 
called Ostridh. When it now appeared that a bitter spirit of hostilit) 
had sprung up between those kings and their fierce people, Theodore, 
that archbishop beloved of God, acting under His instigation, 9C 
entirely extinguished the flames which had thus broken out, that ha 
tranquillized the kings and people, and the life of none was required 
in revenge for the slaughter of die deceased, compensation for whose 
death was made by the pa]^ent only of a large sum of money. 
The treaty of peace then entered into continued for long between 
these sovereigns and their realms. 



A.0.6S5.] CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 67 

A.D. 680. A synod, concerning the catholic faith, was held in 
the plain of Hetfeld, under the presidency of archbishop Theodore, 
in which John, a Roman abbot, was present, upon uie fifteenth 
of the kalends of October [17th Sept.], in the tenth year of Egfrid, 
king of the Humbrians, in the sixth of Etilred, king of the Mer- 
cians, in the seventeentli of Aldulf, king of the East Anglians, and 
in ^e seventh of Lothaire, king of the men of Kent. In this year, 
also, Hilda, the religious handmaid of Christ, the abbess of the 
monastery which is called Streneshalch, departed i^om this world. 
to receiTe the reward of the life which is in heaven, which she had 
in many respects anticipated while yet in the flesh. She died on 
the fifteenth of the kalends of December [17th Nov.], being sixty- 
six years old, — a period which may he divided into two equal por- 
tions, thirty-three of which she spent in the greatest renown, clad 
in the robes of a laywoman ; the remainder she dedicated to the 
Lord, spending them in the yet more noble conversation of a nun. 
She was of illustrious descent, being the daughter of Hereric, the 
n^hew of king Edwin. 

A.D. 684. Ecgfrid, king of the Northumbrians, having despatched 
an army to Ireland, under duke Bercht, miserably destroyed that 
harmless people, who were always most friendly to the nation of 
the Angles. The destruction was so complete, that not even the 
churches or the monasteries were spared. 

A.D. 685. As king Egfrid was rashly leading his army to de- 
vastate the province of the Picts, — against the earnest persuasion 
of many of his friends, and especially of Cuthbert of blessed 
memory, who had lately been ordained bishop, — the enemy pre- 
tended that they fled ; and the king, being thus tempted to enter 
into the fastnesses of inaccessible mountains, was slam, along with 
a large proportion of the troops which he had taken with him, upon 
the thirteenth of the kalends of June [20th May], being in the 
fortieth year of his age, and the fifteenth of his reign. Egfrid was 
succeed^ in his kingdom by Alfrid, a man admirably skilled in the 
Scriptures, who is said to have been his brother, and the son of 
king Oswin : he nobly restored the ruined kingdom to its former 
condition, although compelled to reduce it within narrower limits. 
In this year also, Lotere, king of Kent, died, after having reigned 
twelve vears, on the eighth of the ides of February [6th Feb.] ; he 
succeeded his brother Egbert, who had reigned nine years. He had 
been wounded in a battle against the South Saxons, whom Edric, 
the son of Egbert, had led against him; and he died as his wounds 
were beii^ dressed. The same Edric reigned after him for a year 
and a Ii^lL After his death, kings of doubtful right or of foreign 
descent troubled the kingdom, until the lawful king, Wichtred, the 
son of Egbert, was established in the realm ; and he, by his care in 
secular matters as well as spiritual, released his people from ex- 
ternal invasion. In the same year in which king Egfrid died, he 
had caused that the holy and venerable Cuthbert should be ordained 
as a bishop for the church of Lindisfame. He was ordained at 
Yoric by llieodore, archbishop of Canterbuiy, on the seventh of 
the kalends of April [26th March], being Easter Sunday, there 

f2 



68 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.I>. 68!h- 

having congregated for his consecration seven bishops ; king 
Egfrid himself was present, this being the fifteenth year of his 
reign. 

A.D. 687. Wilfrid, who had been expelled from his see by Jring 
Egfrid, after having undergone a long exile, was admitted to the 
church of Hexham ; and the holy Cuthbert, knowing in his spint 
that the day of his departure was at hand, returned to his island 
and his resting-place. On the fourth day of the first week in Lent 
[27th Feb.], his sickness began; and on the fourth day of the week 
after Mid-Lent Sunday [20th March], he departed to the Lord, 
worn out by a disease which had continued incessantly for three 
whole weeks. He died during the time of the nocturnal prayers, 
upon the thirteenth of the kalends of April [20th March], on the 
first day of the moon's age, in the third year of his episcopate, after 
having been an anchorite for twelve years and a monk for thirty- 
four, and in the fifty-fourth year after king Oswald and bishop Aidan 
had established a bishop's seat in the island of Lindisfame. His 
body was removed into the church of the blessed apostle Peter, 
which is in the same island, and there was placed at die rig^t side 
of the altar within a stone coffin. 

A.D. 688. In this, the third year of king Alfrid, Cadwalla, the 
king of the West Saxons, after having energetically governed his 
people for two years, abandoned his kingdom for the sake of the 
Lord, the King Eternal, and went to Rome. His desire was to 
obtain the special privilege of being washed in the fountain of 
baptism at the shrine of the blessed apostles ; for he had learned 
that by baptism alone is opened up for the human race an entrance 
to the life in heaven. His hope, furthermore, was this : that after 
his baptism, he should be delivered from the bonds of the flesh, 
and, while yet pure, should pass away to the joys of heaven. By 
the Lord's help, each of these his wishes was ftilfilled ; for on his 
arrival there, during the pontificate of Sergius, he was baptized, on 
the holy Saturday before Easter ; and while yet in his white bap- 
tismal robes, he was seized with illness, by which he was liberated 
from the body, and associated with the blessed ones in the kingdom 
of heaven, upon the twelfth of the kalends of May [20th April]. 
He was thirty years old ; and at this time Justinian Was emperor, 
and in the fourth year of his consulate. Yna, one of the kingly 
family, succeeded him in the kingdom, and he governed it for 
thirty-seven years. 

A.D. 690. Theodore, the archbishop, of blessed memory, being 
now an old man and full of days (for he was eighty-eight years old), 
died ; to whom a revelation had been made in a dream as to the 
length of his life, and of this he frequently spoke to his friends. He 
had occupied his see for twenty-two years ; and he was buried in 
the church of St. Peter, in which are interred the bodies of all the 
archbishops of Canterbury. Of him, and of his companions in the 
archbishopric, it may well and truly be said, that " their bodies are 
buried in peace, and their names shall live from generation to 
generation." [Ecclus. xliv. 13.] For I scruple not to affirm, 
that the English churches attained a greater degree of spiritual 



J^D.716.] CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 69 

perfection under the government of this individual than they had 
ever reached before his time. 

A.D. 692. Theodore was succeeded in the episcopate by Bercht- 
yrsldy who had been abbot in the monastery named Racuulf, which 
is situated on the northern bank of the river Glenlade, at its 
mouth : he also was a man well versed in the knowledge of the 
Scriptures, and thoroughly acquainted with the rules by which 
churches and monasteries are governed, yet by no means to be 
compared with his predecessor. He was elected to the see on the 
first of July, while Kent was governed by Wichtred and Suef hard. 
He was ordained in the following year by Godwin, the metropolitan 
bishop of Gaul, upon the third of the kalends of July [29th 
June], being Sunday ; and he took his seat [in his cathedral] upon 
Sunday, the s^ond of the kalends of September [31st Sept.]. 
Among the many bishops whom he ordained was Tobias, who suc- 
ceeded as bishop to the church of Rochester, upon the death of 
Gefmund ; he was a man admirably learned in the Latin, Greek, 
and Saxon languages and literature. Wilfrid was expelled for the 
second time by king Alfrid, and was in exile for thirteen years. He 
went first to Rome, and on his return thence, he spent some time 
in the r^on of the Middle Angles : after having been a wanderer, 
for a long time, he again visited Rome ; and when he returned to 
Brit^, he visited the districts of the South Saxons, who were still 
addicted to the rites of heathendom, and in that land he taught the 
gospel for five years. 

A.D. 703. After a reign of thirty years over the Mercian nation, 
Aethelred became a monk, and resigned the kingdom to Coenred. 

A.D. 705. Alfrid, king of the Northumbrians, died, before the 
full completion of the twentieth year of his reign, and was suc- 
ceeded in the government by his son Osred, a boy of about eight 
years old. After he had reigned eleven years, Wilfrid was restored 
in peace to his see, and the remaining four years of his reign (that 
\s, until the day of his death) passed peaceably. And thus [Wilfrid,] 
that most excellent bishop and venerable conqueror, ascended before 
the throne of God, having been a bishop for forty -five years ; and 
his body having been conveyed to his own monastery, called Ripon, 
was there buried in the church of the blessed apostle Peter, with 
the honour due to such an illustrious bishop. 

A.D. 708, (being the fourth year of the reign of king Osred,) 
Coenred, who for some time had held the sceptre of the kingdom 
of the Mercians with great reputation, resigned it with greater ; 
for having proceeded to Rome, he there received the tonsure 
during the popedom of Constantine, and having become a monk, 
continued until the last day of his life at the threshold of the 
aposties, in prayers, fastings, and almsgivings. He was succeeded 
in his kingdom by Coelred, the son of king Aethelred, who had 
held the same realm before the accession of Coenred. 

A.D. 711. Bertfriht, the prefect, engaged in battle with the Picts. 

A.D. 716. Osred, king of the Northumbrians, was killed, and 
Coenred succeeded, and Ceolred the king of the Mercians died, 
and Egbert (that man of the Lord) set the monks of lona right as 



70 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.D.7S5— 

to the catholic tune of holding Easter, and the ecclesiastical 
tonsure. 

A.D. 725, (being the seventh year of king Osric, the successor 
of Coenred,) Wihtred the son of Egbert, the king of Kent, died 
upon the ninth of the kalends of May [2dd April], leaving as 
heirs to his kingdom (which he had held for thirty-four years and 
a-half) his three sons, namdy, Aelbert, Eadbert, and Alfric. 

In the year followine, Tobias, the bishop of the church of 
Rochester, died, a most learned man, as we have already stated ; 
for he had been the scholar of those teachers of blessed memory, 
archbishop Theodore, and abbot Adrian; wherefore he was so 
skilled, not only in ecclesiastical and general literature, but also in 
the Greek and Latin languages, that they were as SsLmiliar to him 
as his own native tongue. He was buried in the aisle of St Pkul 
the Apostle, which he had built as his own place of interment, 
within the church of St. Andrew. He was succeeded in his 
episcopal office by Aldulf, who was consecrated by archbishop 
Berhtwald. 

A.D. 729. Two comets appeared near the sun, which struck 
great terror into the spectators. One of them went before the sun 
at his rising, and the other followed him at his setting, presaging, 
as it were, fearful slaughter to both east and west. Or it may be 
understood thus; one preceded the commencement of the day, 
the other that of the night, intimatii^ that ills were impending by 
both day and night over the human race. The flame extended 
towards the nordi, as if it were about to set that region of the 
heavens on fire. They appeared in the month of January, and 
continued visible for nearly two weeks. At this time the Saracens, 
a fearful pest, devastated Oaul with a miserable slaughter ; but not 
long after they were deservedly punished for their treacherv in the 
same province. In this year that man of God, Egbert, departed 
to the Lord, upon the eighth of the kalends of May [24th April], 
being Easter-day, and shortly after Easter, that is to say, on the 
seventh of the ides of Mav [9th May], Osric, the king of the 
Northumbrians, died, after having appointed Ceonulf as his suc- 
cessor in the kingdom, who was the brother of his own predecessor 
king Coenred. Osric reigned eleven years. The commencement 
and progress of the reign of Ceonulf were marked by such an 
abundance of hostile proceedings, that it is impossible as yet to 
affirm what shall be their issue. 

A.D. 731. Archbishop Berhtwald, exhausted by a long extended 
old age, died upon the fifth of the ides of January [9th Jan.], 
having ruled his diocese for thirty-seven years, six months, and 
fourteen days. In the same year Tatwine, of the province of the 
Mercians, was made archbishop. He was consecrated in the city 
of Canterbury, by those venerable men Daniel, bishop of Win- 
chester, Igwald, bishop of London, and Aldulf, bishop of Rochester, 
upon Sunday the tenth of June : he was a man remarkable for his 
religion and prudence, and admirably versed in sacred literature. 
This was about the two hundred and eighty-fifth year since the 
arrival of the Angles in England. 



▲ D.1078.] CHRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 71 

A.D. 733.* An eclipse of the sun occurred on the eighteenth of 
the kalends of September [15th Aug.], about the third hour of the 
day, to such an extent that nearly Uie whole surface of the sun 
appeared to be covered like as with a black and horrible shield. 

A.D. 734. The moon was covered with a colour like blood for 
nearly a whole hour, at cockcrowing upon the second of the 
kalends of February [31st Jan.], and after a darkness had suc- 
ceeded, she regained her usual brightness. In this same year 
archbbhop Tatwine, and Beda the doctor, ascended to the heavenly 
mansicHis. 

A.D. 1065. St. Edward the king exchanged a praiseworthy life 
for a happy death, upon the vigil of the Epiphany [5th Jan.], after 
having re^ed twenty-three years, six months, and twenty-seven 
days : ne was the son of king Aethdred and of Emma, the daughter 
of Richard, duke of Normandy, and the brother of Edmund Iron- 
side, by the father's side. On the second day afterwards, Harold 
was consecrated king. 

A.D. 1066. In the following year WiUiam, earl of Normandy, 
came into England, and attacked this king Harold ; and upon the 
second of the ides of October [14th Oct.], he defeated him and 
his army at Hastinge; and on the Nativity of our Lord next 
ensuing, he was elevated to the throne. 

A.D. 1068.' There was a battle at Bledun. 

A.D. 1069. In the eighty-third year after the body of the blessed 
Cuthbert had been conveyed to Durham by bishop Aldun, and in 
the third year of the reign of king William, that same William, 
the king of the English, appointed one Robert, sumamed Cumin, 
as earl over the people of the Northumbrians; and he, having 
arrived at Durham with twelve hundred men, and conducting him- 
self with violence against the inhabitants, was there slain with all 
his followers, excepting only one single individual, (who escaped 
although wounded,) upon the fifth of the kalends of February 
[28tli Jan.]. Hereupon the king was very angry, and despatched 
one of his nobles along with an army to avenge the murder. Upon 
the arrival of the expedition at Alvertun, and when they were 
preparing to advance to Durham on the following morning, there 
arose sudi a dense mist that they could scarcely see each other, and 
were utterly unable to discover the road. Wondering what this 
might betoken, one of them told the others that the inhabitants of 
Durham had in their city a saint named Cuthbert, who would 
help and protect them in every adversity, so that no one could 
harm them with impunity. Upon hearing this, they all returned 
home. 

A.D. 1071. Duke Eadwin was killed. 

A.D. 1075. Queen Eaditha died. The dukes Roger and Ralph 
wished to betr^ the king. 

A.D. 1076. Earl Walthev was beheaded. 

A.D. 1078. Hermann, bishop of Salisbury, died, and Osmund 
succeeded him. 

> ▲.!>. 7S0 in the M&, but erroneoualy. ' In the MB. ▲.o. 1048. 



72 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1060^ 

A.D. 1080. There was a violent wind at Christinas. Walcer, 
bishop of Durham, died. 

A.D. 1083. Queen Matilda died. 

A.D. 1084. Pope Wibert assumed the see. 

A.D. 1087. William, king of the English, died, and was suc- 
ceeded in the kingdom by his son William. 

A.D. 1089. Bishop Osmund appointed thirty-six canons in the 
church of Salisbury. Archbishop Lanfranc died. An earthquake 
occurred. 

A.D. 1092. Bishop Osmund, and seven bishops, dedicated the 
church of Salisbury. 

A.D. 1093. Anselm was elected to the archbishopric. 

A.D. 1094. Malcolm, king of Scots, and queen Margaret died. 

A.D. 1096. Pope Urban preached the expedition to Jemsalem. 
Antioch was captured by the Christians. A comet appeared. 

A.D. 1099. Bishop Osmund and pope Urban died. Jerusalem 
was taken by the Christians. 

A.D. 1100. King William the younger died, as also archbishop 
Thomas the elder. King Henry came to the throne. 

A.D. 1101. Upon Christmas -day [Geoffrey] was solemnly 
anointed and crowned king by the patriarch Daibert, in the pre- 
sence of the bishops, the clergy, and the people, in the church of 
the blessed Mary at Bethlehem. 

A.D. 1102. Roger was elected to the bishopric of Salisbury. 

A.D. 1 104. The body of St. Cuthbert, which remained uncorrupt, 
was translated or exhibited ; four hundred and eighteen years, five 
months, and twelve days having elapsed since his death ; in the 
fifth year of the reign of king Henry, and the sixth of the epi- 
scopate of Ralph. 

A.D. ] 105. King Henry burnt Bayeux. 

A.D. 1106. King Henry obtained possession of Normandy. A 
comet appeared in the month of February. 

A.D. 1107. R(^er, bishop of Salisbury, was ordained. Eadgar, 
king of Scotland, died. 

A.D. 1108. Bishop Gundulf died, and was succeeded by Ralph. 

A.D. 1109. Archbishop Anselm died ; and Henry, king of Eng- 
land, bestowed his daughter upon the emperor. 

A.D. 1110. A comet appeared in the month of June. 

A.D. 1111. Boiamund died, as also the abbess Eulalia. Pope 
Paschal was made prisoner at Rome. 

A.D. 1114. Archbishop Thomas the second died. 

A.D. 1116. Mary, countess of Boulogne, died, on the second of 
the kalends of June [31st May]. 

A.D. 1118. Pope Paschal died ; as also Matilda, queen of Eng- 
land, and the patriarch Amulf, and Baldewin, king of Jerusalem. 

A.D. 1119. Pope Gelasius died; and there was an earthquake 
upon the fourth of the kalends of October [28th Sept.]. 

A.D. 1120. William, the son of king Henry, and his brother 
Richard, and Richard earl of Chester, and many of the nobility, 
were shipwrecked and drowned. 

A.D. 1122. Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, died. 



A.all58.] CBRONICLE OF HOLYROOD. 73 

A.D. 1123. John, bishop of Bath» and Robert, bishop of Lin- 
coln, died. 

A.D. 1124. Alexander, king of the Scots, of good memory, died 
on the seventh of the kalends of May [25th Apnl]. 

A.D. 1125. There was a severe famine, and a great council was 
held. The sheriff died. 

A.D. 1128. The foundation of the church of the Holy Rood of 
Edmesburch commenced. 

A.D. 1129. William, bishop of Winchester, died, and Henry 
was consecrated. 

A. D.- 1130. Anegus, earl of Moray, was killed by the Scots. 

A.D. 1133. There was an eclipse upon the nones of August 
[5th Aug.]. 

A.D4 1 135. Henry, king of England, died upon the fourth of the- 
nones of December [2d Dec], and Stephen succeeded him. 

A.D. 1136. William, archbishop of Canterbury, died; and also 
Richard Fltz Gilbert. The church of Glasgow was dedicated upon 
the nones of July [7th July]. 

A.D. 1137. Upon the fifteenth of the kalends of December 
[17th Nov.] a battle was fought between the Scots and the 
English. 

A.D. 1138. King Stephen took prisoners the bishop of Salisbury, 
the bishop of Lincoln, and the chancellor. 

A.D. 1140. King Stephen was captured at Lincoln by the earl 
of Gloucester, and those others who took the part of the empress. 

A.D. 1147. John, bishop of Glasgow, died. The second expedi- 
tion to Jerusalem was preached. 

A.D. 1150. The church of Dunfermelin was dedicated. Abbot 
Alwin voluntarily deposed himself from the pastoral care, and 
Osbert assumed it. This same abbot Osbert died in the present 
year, upon the fifteenth of the kalends of December [17th Nov.]. 

A.D. 1152. William was elected abbot. Matilda, queen of Eng- 
land, died upon the fifth of the nones of May [3d May]. Henry, 
earl of Northumberland, the son of David, king ef Scotland, died 
upon the 2d of the ides of June [12th June]. Ascalon was taken 
by the Christians. 

A.D. 1153. David, king of the Scots, of pious memory, died 
upon the ninth of the kalends of June [24th May], upon the Sun- 
day before Ascension-day. His successor in the kingdom was his 
grandson, Malcolm, the son of Henry, the earl of Northumberland, 
lately mentioned ; he was forty-two years old. Pope Eugenius 
died ; he was succeeded by Anastasius. Then died also, Bernard, 
abbot of Clairvaux, and Eustace, the son of Stephen, king of Eng- 
land; likewise Rader, earl of Chester, Simon, earl of Nordiampton, 
and Henry, archbishop of York. Stephen, king of England, entered 
into a treaty of perpetual peace and amity with Henry, the most 
noble earl of Anjou, upon the festival of St. Leonard the Abbot 
[6th Nov.]. Upon the same day, Sumerled, and his nephews, that 
is to say, the sons of Malcolm, having taken to themselves many 
associates, rebelled against king Malcolm, and caused grievous 
disturbances over the greater part of Scotland. 



74 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENOIAND. [a.O. 1154— 

A.D. 1154. By permission of Anastasius, the most pious pope, 
William, archbishop of York, returned to his archiepiscopal see, 
with the greatest honour, and died within the seventh week after- 
wards. Hugh received the bishopric of Durham: he was con- 
secrated at Rome. In Scotland there was a very great (amine and 
murrain of cattle. Arthur, who was about to betray king Malcohn, 
died in single combat. Geoffiiey, the first abbot of Dunfermelin, 
died, and his nephew Geofirey succeeded in his place. Roger, oJF 
Bishop's Bridge, was consecrated archbishop of York. Stephen, 
king of England, died upon the eighth of the kalends of November 
[25th Oct.] ; and Henry, duke of Normandy, was crowned upon 
the fourteenth of the kalends of January [19th Dec.]. Dunecan, 
earl of Fife, died. King Malcolm gave the church of Travement 
to the canons of Edinburgh. Upon the same day that Henry was 
crowned kii^ of England, Christian was consecrated bishop of 
Galloway, at Bermundsey, by the archbishop of Rouen.^ 

A.D. 1155. Pope Anastasius died, and was succeeded by Adrian. 
Ailwin, the first abbot of the church of Holy Rood, died. 

A.D. 1156. Dofhald, the son of Malcolm, was taken prisoner at 
Witteme, and placed in confinement by his father. 

A.D. 1157. Peace was establbhed between Malcolm Machel and 
the king of the Scots. Henry, king of England, led an army into 
Wales ; and there were slain Eustace Fitz John, and many others ; 
but at last the Welsh made peace with the king. The king of 
Scotland surrendered Northumberland and Cumberland to the king 
of England, and the king of England gave him the earldom of 
Huntingdon. Many of the brethren of the Temple of Jerusalem 
were killed in battle. 

A.D. 1158. Robert, bishop of St. Andrew's, of holy memory, 
died. Malcolm, king of Scotland, accompanied Henry, king of 
England, to Toulouse ; and when at Tours, he was invested with the 
sword of a knight, by the same king Henry. William, earl of 
Boulogne, the son of king Stephen, died. Pope Adrian died, and 
was succeeded by Alexander, after the expulsion of Octavian, who 
had wickedly claimed the apostolic see. William, bishop of Moray, 
having been despatched to Rome by king Malcolm, was received 
with the greatest honour by the aforesaid pope Alexander, and 
sent back to Scotland with the favour and approbation of the 
apostolic see. 

A.D. 1160. King Malcolm thrice conducted an army into Gal- 
loway; and having subdued his enemies thefe, he entered into 
a treaty of peace with them, and returned without having expe- 
rienced any loss. Fergus, prince of Galloway, assumed the dress 
of a canon in the church of the Holy Rood of Edinburgh ; and he 
gave them the vill called Dunroden. Emald, abbot of Kelso, was 
elected bishop of St. Andrew's, and he was consecrated in the 
church of St. Andrew's, by William, bishop of Moray, the legate of 
the apostolic see. He was succeeded in his office by Walter. John 
was elected abbot of Kelso, and received the benediction from 
Herbert, bishop of Glasgow. 

> Hugh d'AmienB, oonceming whom see GaUia Chrisi. zL 48. 



.AJXliea.] CHRONICLE OP HOLYROOD. 75 

A.D. 1161. Theodbald, archbishop of Canterbury, died. Fergus, 

firince of Galloway, died, upon the fourth of the ides of May 
12th May]. 
A.D. 1162. William, bishop of Moray, who was also the legate 
of the apostolic see, died upon the ninth of the kalends of February 
[24th Jan.]. Thomas, the chancellor of the king of England, was 
consecrated archbishop of Canterbury. Elda, tibe sister of Mal- 
colm, king of Scotland, married Florence, the noble earl of Hol- 
land. Isaac, prior of Scone, died ; and Robert, a canon of Jedde- 
worth, was appointed the first abbot of the same church. Emald, 
bishop of St. Andrew's, and legate of the apostolic see, died upon 
the ides of September [13th Sept.]. 

A.D. 1163. Henry, king of England, having restored peace to 
the r^ons beyond tlie sea « * * * « « 



C5HE0NICLE OF MELROSE. 



CHBONICLE OF MELROSE. 



After that very truthful historian and most excellent doctor, the 
venerable Beda, the honour and glory of our nation, had ceased to 
write, none others have occurred, as far as we can discover, who 
have narrated events with accuracy, or in a continuous narrative ; 
or who have devoted themselves with due diligence to the recital 
of occurrences, by years and seasons, so as to instruct the igno- 
rance of us who have succeeded them, and successfully to remove 
the difficulties incident to the time in which we live. Pursuing 
this, we have bestowed some little trouble (as much, indeed, as our 
inertness will permit us to do, and our ability extends) upon a 
diligent investigation into the truth of these matters. Taking upon 
ourselves, therefore, to run over, with all brevity, the succession of 
events from those three years with which the aforesaid venerable 
Beda, the priest and monk of the monastery of Jarrow or Wear- 
mouth, concludes his narrative, we shall commence with the very 
words of the historian himself ; which, as it is well known, are as 
follows : — 

"In * the year of our Lord's incarnation seven hundred and 
thirty-one, archbishop Berhctwald died of old age, on the fifth' of 
the ides of January [9th Jan.], having held his see 37 Y^^^' ^ 
months, and 14 days. In his stead, and in the same year, Tatwine 
was made archbishop. He was of the province of the Mercians, 
having been a priest in the monastery which is called Briodun. 
He was consecrated in the city of Canterbury by the venerable 
men, Daniel, bishop of Winchester, and Ingwald, bishop of London, 
and Alwid,' bishop of Lichfield, and Aldulf, bishop of Rochester, 
on the tenth day of the month of June, being Sunday; he was a 
man remarkable for his religion and wisdom, and notably learned 
in the sacred writings. 

" Thus at this present time, bishops Tatwine and Aldulf preside 
over the churches of Kent ; Hingwald is bishop over the province 
of the East Saxons; Eadbert and Eadhelac^ are bishops in the 
province of the East Angles ; Daniel and Forther are bishops in 
the province of the West Saxons. In the province of the Mercians, 
Alwin is bishop; and over those people who dwell beyond the 
river Severn to the westward, Walstod is bishop. In the province 
of the Wiccians, Wilfrid is bishop ; in the province of the Lindis- 
fari, Cinibrihct is bishop; the bishopric of the Isle of Wight 

1 See T. xxiii § 449. 

* BedA flays that he died on the 13th of Janoary, but his name occurs under 
9th Januanr in the principal Martyrologies. See Acta SS. Bolland. i 697. 

* Read Alduin. * Read Aldberct and Hadulac. 



80 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.!). 7S5— 

belongs to Daniel, bishop of the city of Winchester. The pro- 
vince of the South Saxons having now continued for some years 
without a bishop, receives the episcopal ministry from the bishop 
of the West Saxons. All these provinces, and the others to the 
south, as far as the banks of the river Humber, along with their 
kings, are subject to Ethelbald, king of the Mercians. 

" But over the province of the Northumbrians, which is now 
governed by king Ceowlf,* four bishops now preside ; Wilfrid in 
the church of York, Ethelwald in the church of Lindisfame, Acca 
in the church of Hexham, Pictelm in that which is called Whit- 
hem ; which last, from the increased number of believers, has of 
late become an additional episcopal see, and has him as its first 
bishop. The nation of the Picts at this time has a treaty of peace 
with the nation of the Angles ; and having become a partaker of 
the catholic * peace and truth, rejoices therein with the universal 
church. The Scots who inhabit Britain, contented with their own 
territories, form no plots or conspiracies against the nation of the 
Angles. The Britons, although they, for the most part, through 
domestic hatred, are hostile to the nation of the Angles, and by 
their wicked usages oppose the custom of the whole catholic church, 
yet, as they are firmly opposed by both divine and human power, 
they can obtain their desired object on neither side ; for although 
they are partly independent, yet they are also partly under subjec- 
tion to the Angles. Such being the calm and peaceful condition 
of the times, many of the Northumbrian nation, as well nobles as 
private persons, laying aside their weapons, are minded to accept 
the tonsure, and to dedicate both themselves and their children to 
monastic vows, rather than to employ themselves in warlike occu- 
pations. What will be the issue of these things will be seen by 
the future age. At the present time this is the condition of the 
whole of Britain, about the year two hundred and eighty-five since 
the arrival of the Angles in Britain, but in the seven hundred and 
thirty-first year of our Lord's incarnation, in whose reign let the 
earth ever rejoice, and let the many isles of Britain exult and be 
glad in his faith." 

Thus far have we been able to use the language of the venerable 
and most trustworthy Beda, the doctor not only of the English 
church, but also (as we confidently dare affirm) of the church 
catholic ; and we have drawn, as from a most limpid fountain, 
these statements from the Ecclesiastical History of our nation, of 
which he is the author. The portion, however, which now 
follows, is excerpted from various sources, some from one place, 
some from another. 

In the same year died archbishop Tatwin. 

A.D. 735. Nothelm was ordained as archbishop of Canterbury. 
Ecgberth, archbishop of York, was confirmed as the archbishop 
over the nation of the Northumbrians; he being the first after 
Paulinas, who received the pall from the apostolic see. 

A.D. 736. After having received the pall from the apostolic 

» Read Ceolwulf. » See Beda, R H. § 4ii. 



A.]). 750.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 81 

pontiff, Notbdm ordained three bishops, namely Cuthbert, Heord- 
wald, and Ethelfrid. The venerable doctor Beda died at Jarrow. 

A.D. 737. Aldwin, bishop of Lichfield, died, and in his stead 
Witta and Totta were consecrated bishops for the Mercians and 
Middle Angles. In the same year Ceolwulf, the most noble king 
of the Nordiumbrians, after having reigned seven years, became a 
monk, and resigned the sceptre of his kingdom to Eadbert, the son 
of his uncle. This Eadbert reigned twenty-one years. 

A. D. 738. Suebricht, king of the East Saxons, died. 

A.D. 739. Nothelm, archbishop of Canterbury, and Aloulf, 
bishop of Rochester, died. 

A. D. 740. Cuthbert, the eleventh archbbhop of the church of Can- 
terbury, succeeded to that see, during the time of [pope] Zachary ; 
and Dun succeeded Aldulf as bishop of Rochester. Addwald, bishop 
of Lindisfame, departed to the Lord, and Kinewulf was appointed 
in his stead in the bishopric. In the same year died Adelard, king 
of the West Saxons, after having reigned fourteen years, and 
Cudred reigned in his stead. St. Acca of Hexham died, to whom 
succeeded St. Frithebert the bishop. 

A.D. 741. The monastery of York* was consumed by fire, on 
Sunday, the ninth of the kalends of May [23d April]. Ewain 
king of the Scots, died, and was succeeded by Murezaut, his son. 

A.D. 742. 

A.D. 743. 

A.D. 744. A battle was fought between the Picts and the 
Britons. In the same year Cudred, king of the West Saxons, and 
Adelbald, king of the Mercians, made peace with each other ; and, 
having united their armies, they fought against the Britons. Mure« 
caut, king of the Scots, died, and was succeeded by Ewen his son. 

A.D. 745. Flashes of fire were seen in the air like wandering 
stars, during the whole of the eighth of the kalends of January 
{7th Jan.], and they were a source of great dismay to all who saw 
them. In the same year Wilfrid, the second of the name, bishop 
of York, died ; and also in the same year died Inguald, bishop of 
London, and also the bishop of the Wiccians. 

A.D. 746. Daniel, bishop of Winchester, died. 

A.D. 747. Selred, king of the East Angles, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by Elfwald. Ewen, king of the Scots, died ; his son He- 
dabbus succeeded him. 

A.D. 748. 

A.D. 749. Edbricht, king of Kent, the son of Wihred, died, and 
was succeeded by Adelbricbt. In the same year Elfwald, the king 
of the East Angles, died, and Humbeam and Albert divided the 
kingdom between them. In this year also Kenric, sou of Cudred, 
king of the West Saxons, youthful in years, but of exceeding 
energy, was slain in battle. 

A.D. 750. Adelbert, king of the Northumbrians, led captive 
Kiniwulf,' bishop of Lindisfame, into the city of Bebba, and 
caused the church of St. Peter in Lindisfame to be blockaded. 

* The Saxon Chron. mentions the incident without specifying the date. 
' See the oorrespondjng passage in Simeon of Dnrbam. 

VOL. rv. G 



82 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [ajX 751— 

Cudhred rebelled against, and fought with the haughty king ^ of 
Mercia. Bishop Alwich ' died, and was succeeded by Aldulph. 

A.D. 751. King Cudred fought with that audacious earl of his, 
Adelhun, who had excited a rebellion against him. This nobleman 
was just upon the very eve of obtaining a victory, but a wound 
which he received permitted the righteous cause of the king to 
triumph. 

A.D. 752. An eclipse' happened on the day before the kalends 
of August [31st July]. 

A.D. 753. King Cudred, having made peace with earl Adelhun, 
whom we have sdready mentioned, engaged in battle at Bereford 
with Adelbald, the haughty king of the Mercians, who had bro\]^ht 
forward with him the men of Kent and Mercia, as well as the East 
Saxons and Angles. When they joined battle, God, who resisteth 
the proud, scattered the power of Adelbald. 

A.D. 754. Boniface, archbishop of the Franks, called also Win- 
frid, was crowned with martyrdom, along with fifty-three others. 
In the same year king Cudred fought against the Britons, and 
made great havoc among them. 

A.D. 755. Cudred died, and left his kingdom to his relative, 
Sigebert. 

A.D. 756. Sigebert, the king of the West Saxons, having become 
intolerable through his insolence, was expelled from his kingdom : 
he fled, and hid himself in the forest which is called Andredeswald» 
where he was discovered, and put to death by a certain swineherd, 
whose master, earl Humbra,* this king had wickedly slain. He 
was succeeded by Kinewald, a worthy young man of the royal race. 
In the same year the anchorite Balthere, having imitated the life of 
the saints, departed to the Lord. The moon was covered with a 
bloody redness, upon the eighth of the kalends of December* 
[24th Nov.], she being then ^een days old. 

A. D. 757. Adelbald, king of the Mercians, having been slain at 
Secandune, Beomred succeeded, whom Offa drove out in the same 
year, and during thirty-nine years he held the kingdom of Mercia 
in his stead. 

A.D. 758. Eadbert, the king of Northumbria, having received 
the tonsure on his head for God's sake, was made a canon at York 
under archbishop Egbert, and he left his kingdom to his son Osulf. 
After he had reigned for one year, he and his people were killed 
on the ninth of the kalends of August [24th July], at Methel- 
wongtune," leaving Mol Adelwald as the heir of his kingdom. 

A.D. 759. Edelwald, who was also called Moll, began to reign in 
Northumberland in the month of August. 

A.D. 760» A very terrible battle was fought near Eladun,^ in 

^ Compare the Saxon Chronicle, a.d. 750. 

' Bishop of LindiiiBe, or Sidnacester. See Hardy's Le Neve, iii. 3. 

* An eclipse of the moon took place at half-past one on the morning of 81 st 
July. See L'Art de Veret lea Dates, I 317. 

* Cmnbra, according to the Saxon Chronicle. 

* Upon the 23d November, at seven in the evening, there was an eclipse of the 
moon. L'Art, i. 818. 

* See Simeon, p. 448, note ^ ' See Id. note '. 



A.D.772.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 83 

which Oswin fell, and Edwald, who was caUed Mol, had the vic- 
tory. This year died Unnust, king of the Picts. 

A.D. 761. Archbishop Cuthbert was delivered from the burden 
of the flesh. Edelbert, king of Kent, died, and Egfrid succeeded. 

A.D. 762. The before-mentioned king Edelwald took Etheldrida 
as his queen. 

A.D. 763. 

A.D. 764. A severe frost having hardened the snow, bound up 
the ground from the beginning of winter until nearly the middle 
of the spring. In the same year Ceolwulf, formerly king, but now 
a servant of Christ and a monk, departed to the heavenly country. 
Abbot Frehelm died. In this same year also died Totta, bishop of 
the nation of the Mercians, succeeded by Eadbert; and Frethewald, 
bish<^ of Whitheme, to whom Pictwine succeeded. 

A.D. 765. Flashes of fire were seen in the sky. Adelwald^ 
Mol slew Oswin, a most valiant leader of his own nation, because 
he had risen against him. In this year the same Adelwald lost 
the kingdom of Northumbria, which he had held for six years ; he 
was succeeded by Aldred, who reigned eight years. Bregwin, 
archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Latnbert. 
Also two other bishops cQed, tliat is to say, Hemeli, bishop of the 
Mercians,' succeeded by Cuthfrid; and Aldulf of Lichfield, to 
whom Ceolwulf succeeded. 

A.D. 766. Egbert, archbishop of York, went to rest in the peace 
of Christ, to whom Albert succeeded. Frithebert, bishop of 
Hexham, departed from this world to the Lord on the tenth of the 
kalends of January [23d Dec], to whom succeeded Alchmund. 
Frithewald,' bishop of Chester, died. 

A.D. 767. Etha, that faithful anchorite at Creic, near York, 
died happily. 

A. D. 768. Eadbert, formerly king, died happily, being a cleric and 
the servant of God. In the same year pope Stephen, and Pipin, 
the king of the Franks, died. Alcred, king of Northumbria, took 
Osgeiva as his queen. 

A.D. 769. Eamred the tyrant burnt Caterick, and he himself 
perished in the flames. In the same year the empire of the 
Romans, together with the kingdom of the Franks, was subjected 
to Charles the Great, the son of king Pipin. 

A.D. 770. 

A.D. 771. Sibald the abbot died. The reader Ec^c departed 
to the society of the elect. Ofia, king of the Mercians, reduced 
to his subjection the Hestings by arms. 

A.D. 772. Duke PitteU, and Sunuthulf the abbot, died in peace. 

^ It is probable that this is a second notice of the event abready recorded 
a. 0.760. 

' He was Ushop of Lichfield. Hardy's Le Neve, ilL 540. 

' Another error here occurs, firom the annalist neglecting to observe that he 
here introduces from the Saxon Chron. (a. d. 766) a statement which he had 
already inserted from Simeon, the chronology of these authorities varying two 
years the one from the other. Frithwald, here sirled bishop of Chester, was, in 
Uet, bishop of Whithem ; and the false reading of the text proceeds from a mia- 
i^yprehension of the Saxon Chronicle^ which states that he was consecrated " on 
Geastramy" that is, at York. 

g2 



84 CHUECa BlSTOftlAKS or MSteLAXO, [^.Ol 

A. D. 773. Hadwin, ihe bishop of the drnrch " M igensb/' died, 
and in his place Leuthfrid was appointed. Wlfeht, abbot of 
Beverlej, departed to the Lord. Alb^ of York reodved the pall 
which had been sent to him from pope Adrian. 

A.D. 774. King Aldred, being abandoned bj his own people, 
left his kingdom, and went into exile ; he was succeeded by Aedel- 
red, the son of Moll. 0&, king of the Mercians, fou^t against 
the men of Kent at Ottanford, and, after a fearful slai^itar on 
both sides, he obtained the victmy. Durii^ this year red xppeai- 
ances were seen in the heavens after sunset ; and terrible snakes, 
which caused great wonder, were seen in Sussex. 

A.D. 775. llie Old Saxons, from whom the nation of die Ang^ 
is descended, were converted to Christ. In the same year Cyn^th, 
the king of the Hcts, died, and Eadulf the duke, after having 
been captured by fraud, was treacherously slain. The most famous 
Charles, king of the Franks, overcame the Saxons, and brought 
under his rule the province of the Bavarians, which had formerly 
been reduced by the Franks. 

A.D. 776. Pecthwine, bishop of Whiteheme, departed to the 
Lord, and was succeeded by Ethelbert. 

A.D. 777. Kinewulf, king of the West Saxons, fought against 
Offa, king of the Mercians, near Benetune,' but was put to flight 
by him. Ethelbert, the successor of Picthwine, was consecrated 
at York. Aldulf, Kinulf, and Ecga, the nobles of king Ethelred, 
were treacherously slain ' at his instigation, by the chiefs Adelbald 
and Heardbert, on the third of the kalends of October [29th Sept]. 
Hed, king of the Scots, died, and was succeeded by his son 
Fergus. 

A. D. 778. Adelbald and Heardbert, the chiefs of king Ethelred 
of Northumbria, rebelled against their lord, and slew Aldulf, the 
son of Bosa, the leader of the army, at Kingesclive, and afterwards 
they slew Kinulf and Ec^, the dukes of the same king, at Hylatym.* 
Hereupon the king fled from before their face, and they appointed 
as king, Alfwold, the son of king Osulf, in his stead. 

A.D. 779. On the expulsion of Ethelred, Alfwold assumed the 
kingdom of Northumberland. 

A.D. 780. The generals Osbald and Ethelard, having collected 
an army, burnt Beam, the nobleman of king Alfwold, at Seletune, 
on the ninth of the kalends of January [24th Dec.]. Archbishop* 
Albert departed to Christ ; before his death Eanbald was ordained, 
and this same year received the pall which had been sent to him. 
Bishop Kiniwulf,* casting aside the cares of the world, committed 
the bishopric to Higbald. Fergus, king of the Scots, died, and 
was succeeded by his son Seluand. 

A.D. 781. Alchmund, bishop of Hexham, departed to Christ on 
the seventh of the ides of September [7th Sept.], and was succeeded 
by Tylbert. 

* See the Saxon ChroxL, which correctB this reading. 
' Simeon places this event under the following year. 

* Helathyrn, in the Saxon Chron. Perhaps EUerton, in Yorkshire. 

* Arohbiahop of York. Florence ascribes his death to the next year. 

* Bishop of Lindiafame. See the Saxon Cliron. a. d. 782. 



▲.D.793.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 85 

A.D. 782. There was a coundi at Ade. 

A.D. 783. Werburga, formerly queen of the Mercians, bat at 
this time an abbess, died. In the same year bishop Kiniwulf» 
whom we have mentioned ' above, died happily. 

A.D. 784. Kinewulf,' king of the West Saxons, was killed by 
Kinehard, the brother of Sigebert, because the king had determined 
to send him into exile. 

A.D. 785. Brichtric succeeded Kinewulf. 

A.D. 786. Bothwine, the venerable abbot of Ripon, died by a 
happy end, and was succeeded by Albert. In the same year 
Aldulf was consecrated bishop by archbishop Eanbald, and bishops 
Tylbert and Higbald, at Corbridge, and, after having been enriched 
with many gifts, was sent back to his own church. Queen Rach- 
trida, at this time an abbess, died. Kinehard was slain by king 
Osred, out of revenge for his lord, king Kinewulf. Pope Adrian 
sent his legates into Britain, to restore the catholic faith, and con- 
firm it ; and they were honourably received, and sent back again. 

A.D. 787. A synod was assembled at Pincanhale. Albert, 
abbot of Ripon, departed to the Lord, and Sigred was ordained in 
his stead. 

A.D. 788. King Elfwald was slain in his innocence, by his 
nobleman named Siga, and his body was buried in the church at 
Hexham. In the place where he was slain, a light having ap- 
peared streaming down from heaven, a church was built, to the 
honour of the saints Oswald and Cuthbert. His nephew Osred 
succeeded him. 

A.D. 789. Osred was driven from his kingdom by the treachery 
of hts own people. 

A. D. 790. King Ethelred, the son of Moll, was delivered from 
his banishment, and restored to his kingdom ; he laid hold upon 
duke Eardulf, and having conducted him to Ripon, he there put 
him to death opposite the gate of the monastery. His body, how- 
ever, was carried into the church ; and when the brethren were 
singing around him for his benefit, after midnight, it was discovered 
that he was alive. Baldulf was ordained bishop at Whitheme. 

A.D. 791. King Ethred miserably slaughtered the sons of king 
Elfwald, that is, Aelf and Elwine, at Wonwaldremere, after having 
dragged them away from York by force. Lambert, archbishop of 
Canterbury, departed to Christ, and was succeeded by Ethelred, 
abbot of the monastery " Ludensis." 

A.D. 792. Osred returned from his exile along with an army; 
but it having deserted him, he was taken prisoner, and at the com- 
mand of king Ethelred he was put to death, and buried at Tyne- 
mouth. King Ethelred took as his queen Elfleda, the daughter of 
Offa, king of the Mercians. 

A.D. 793. Fiery dragons appeared in the air, and this prodigy 
was followed by two plagues ; the former was an intolerable famine, 
the second proceeded from the savage cruelty of the nation of the 
pagans and Norwegians, who, in the same year, destroyed the 
monastery of Lindisfame, killed the monks, and harassed North- 

* See ▲. D. 780. ^ See ▲. d. 756. 



86 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGIAND. [^.a 7M-^ 

umberland with considerable slaaghter. In the same year Sigga, 
the duke who had slain king Elfwald, died a profane death by his 
own hand. 

A.D. 794. The Northumbrians slew their king Ethelred/ the 
son of Moll ; but Osbald the nobleman having been elevated to 
the throne, was expelled from the kingdom twenty-seven days 
afterwards. He assumed the religious garb, and was afterwards 
made abbot. Eardulf, the son of Eamulf, who (as we have akeady* 
mentioned) returned to life, was recalled fix)m his exile, and 
appointed king. Egfrid, king of Kent, died, and was succeeded by 
Eadbrich Pren. Pope Adrian was translated to a dwelling in the 
heavens; he was succeeded by Leo. The nation of the pagans 
already mentioned plundered the monastery of king Egfrid at 
Donemutha,' but not without punishment; for by tl^ agency (tf 
the blessed Cuthbert, some of them were killed, some were ship- 
wrecked, some were taken prisoners while yet aUve, and were im- 
mediately put to death upon the shore. 

A.D. 795. Charles, the king of the Franks, reduced the nation of 
the Huns ; and after having put their prince to flight and conquered 
their army, he then divided the spoils among the poor people and 
the churches, and these spoils consisted of fifteen waggons laden 
with gold and silver, each of which was drawn by four oxen. 

A.D. 796. Offa, king of the Mercians, (who had made a great 
ditch from sea to sea,) died, after a reign of thirty-nine years ; he 
was succeeded by his son Egfrid, who died five months afterwards. 
Cenwulf then took the kingdom, and held it in peace for twenty- 
six years. He was the father of Kenelm the martyr. Eanbald, 
archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by another of the 
same name. The bishops who ordained him were Ethelbert, Hig- 
bald, and Badulf. 

A.D. 797. Bishop^ Ethelbert died, and was buried in his own 
church, that is, the church of Hexham; Headred was his suc- 
cessor. The Romans ^ cut out the tongue of pope Leo, and after 
having plucked out his eyes, they drove him from the apostolic see; 
but by the power of God he was afterwards enabled to speak, and 
was restored to the apostolic see. 

A.D. 798. The murderers of king Ethelred, with Wada their 
leader, waged war at Billingahoh, near Waleleie, against Eardulf, 
the successor of Ethelred, and many persons were slain; but 
Wada, the leader, was put to flight, and Eardulf had the victory. 
London was burnt down by a sudden fire, and a large number of 
the inhabitants were consumed. Cenwulf, king of the Mercians, 
destroyed the men of Kent in a most cruel inroad ; and having 
seized and disgraced their king, he added the kingdom to his own, 
and then Cuthred took it, and held it of him. A synod assembled 
at Pincenhalhe, under the presidency of archbishop Eanbald. 

' Simeon places this event upon the 18th of April, 796. 

* See A. D. 790. • Now Tynemouth. 

* Bishop of Candida Coso, or Whitheme. 

* The Chronicle here returns to the computation of the Saxon Awnali^^^ fjtnn 
which it had departed ; Simeon places this event in 799. 



A.I>. 807.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 87 

A.D. 799. Brorda, the chief of the Mercians, who was also 
named Hildegils, died. A certain abbot, named Mora, died a 
lamentable death, having been slain by Tilthegn, his chief officer. 
Moll the duke was also slain by the command of king Eardulf. 
The duke Aldred, he who had murdered king Ethelred, was put to 
death by duke Thormund, the avenger of his lord. The former duke 
and nobleman, Osbald, who had been king aforetime, but who at this 
period was an abbot, deceased, and was buried in the church at York. 

A.D. 800. Headred, the bishop of the church of Hexham, died, 
and was succeeded by Eanbert. Alchmund, the predecessor of 
Ethelred, the son of king Aldred, having been seized by the 
guardians of king Eardulf, was put to death by his orders. A very 
high wind overthrew many cities and towns, and plucked up the trees 
by the roots, on the ninth of the kalends of January [24th Dec] ; 
the sea passed over its boundaries, and a severe murrain destroyed 
much cattle. The king Charles, relying upon his imperial majesty, 
condemned to death those Romans who had done dishonour to 
pope Leo ; but he pardoned them the capital punishment upon the 
entreaties of that pope, and sent them away into exUe. 

A.D. 801. Edwin, called also Eda, formerly the duke of the 
Northumbrians, but at this time an abbot, died happily on the 
eighteenth of the kalends of February [15th Jan.], and was buried 
in his church at Gainford. Eardulf, the king of the Northum- 
brians, and Kinewulf, king of the Mercians, met together to fight ; 
but, by the advice of the bishops and princes, they entered into a 
treaty of peace, to endure as long as they lived, and they confirmed 
it with an oath. 

A.D. 802. Brichtric, king of the Western [Saxons], died by 
poison, which had been administered to him (although prepared 
and intended for another person) by queen Eadburga, &e daughter 
of king Ofia, that constant accuser of the virtuous. Passing the 
sea widi countless treasures, she offered gifts to king Charles. The 
king said to her, " I give you the choice between me and my son: 
you shall have whom you please." She, in her wantonness, selected 
the son, because he was the younger of the two, and thus lost both. 
The king, however, gave her a monastery, in which she assumed 
the garb of a nun, and so clothed her hypocrisy ; but having com- 
mitted adultery with a certain mean person of her own nation, she 
was detected, and dismissed from the monastery by the king's 
orders, and at last she died a miserable death in Pavia, after 
b^^ing her way through towns and villages. Brichtric was suc- 
ceeded by Egbert, one of the royal family. 

A.D. 803. 

A.D. 804. Seluad, king of the Scots, died, and was succeeded 
by Eokal, the poisoner. 

A.D. 805. Adelhard, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was 
succeeded by WifFred. 

A.D. 806. Eardulf, the king of the Northumbrians, was expelled 
by his own people, and for a long time there was no king. 

A.D. 807. Cuthred, king of Kent> died, and was succeeded by 
Baldred. 



88 CHURCH HlflTOElANS OF ENGLAND. [a.1Il 

A.D. 808* 
A.D. 809. 

A.D. 810. 
A.D. 811. 
A.D. 812. 

A.D. 813. Charles the Great, king of the Franks, died ; his son 
Louis sacceeded him. 

A.D. 814. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, pillaged throughout 
the kingdoms of the other sovereigns, from east to west, and there 
was no one who could resist him. 

A.D. 815. St. Leo departed from the world; Stephen succeeded. 

A.D. 816. 

A.D. 817. Alchstan succeeded to the bishopric of the church 
of Shirbum, which he held for fifty years. 

A.D. 818. 

A.D. 819. 

A.D. 820. 

A.D. 821. Cenwulf, the king of the Mercians, died, and was 
succeeded by Ceolwulf. 

A.D. 822. 

A.D. 823. Ceolwulf lost the kingdom of tfie Mercians, of which 
he was deprived by Beomulf . 

A.D. 824. The East Anglians slew in battle Beomulf, the king 
of the Mercians; he was succeeded by Luceden. In the same 

fear occurred a great battle between the Britons and the people of 
)avene8cire, at Gavelforde. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, pat 
to flight Baldred, king of Kent, and seized his kingdom. 

A.D. 825. Luceden, king of the Mercians, was slain, and his 
five earls with him. Wilac succeeded. 

A.D. 826. 

A.D. 827. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, put to rout Wilac, 
king of the Mercians, and obtained his kingdom. 

A.D. 828. Moved by compassion, Egbert granted permission to 
Wilac, king of the Mercians, to hold [that kingdom] from him. In 
this year the same king, Egbert, by the power of his army, subdued 
tlie people of North Wales. 

A. D. 829. Wulfred, archbishop of Canterbury, having died, 
Ceolnoth succeeded. 

A.D. 830. 

A.D. 831. 

A.D. 832. The Danes returned into England, and plundered 
Peseige.' 

A.D. 833. The Danes having arrived in thirty-five large vessels at 
Karrum [Charmouth], they were attacked by king Egbert, but they 
gained the victory; and on the side of Egbert, there were slain two 
bishops, Herefrid and Wigfrid, and two noblemen, Dudda and 
Osmod. 

A.D. 834. An army landed in West Wales from the Danish 
ships ; and the Welshmen joining it, they fought against Egbert, 

' An error for Sceapige, thai is, the isle of Sheppy. See tlie Saxon Chromde. 



A. a 852.1 CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 89 

but they were defeated by him at Hengestesdune.' Eokal, king of 
the Scots, died, and was succeeded by Dungal, his son. 

A.D. 835. 

A.D. 836. 

A.D. 837. 

A.D. 838. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, and now the 
monarch of the whole of England, died. 

A.D. 839. Athewulf, the son of Egbert, received the kingdom of 
the West Saxons, and his other brother, Athelstan, had the kingdom 
of Kent. In the same year Athelwulf, when fighting against the 
Danes in one part of his kingdom, sent his earl Wulfard against 
such of them as had arrived at Hampton in thirty-three ships, and 
he gained a victory over them. He also sent Ethelelm against 
some others at Port, but he was killed by them. 

A.D. 840. Heredbert the earl fought against the Danes at 
Merscware,' by whom he was there slain. In the same year the 
Danes made great havoc in Kent, Mercia, and East Anglia. 

A.D. 841. The Danes piUaged in the neighbourhood of Canter- 
bury, Rochester, and London. In the same year died Louis, the 
king of the Franks, the son and successor of Charles the Great ; 
and he was succeeded by his son, Charles the Bald. Dungal, king 
of the Scots, died, and was succeeded by Alpin, the son of Eokal. 

A.D. 842. 

A. D. ^3. King Adelwulf, with one portion of his army, (for he 
bad sent parts of it into different localities,) fought against these 
[Danes], who had landed at Kamim [Charmouth], as we have 
mentioned above, but they gained the victory. Elpin, king of the 
Scots, died, and was succeeded by his son Kined. 

A.D. 844. 

A.D. 845. 

A.D. 846. 

A.D. 847. The venerable bishop Alcstan, with the men of Somer- 
set, and duke Osred, with the men of Dorset, fought against the 
Danes, and gained the victory at Pedredesmuthe. 

A.D. 848. 

A. D. 849. A son was bom in Berrocscire, to king Athelwolf, 
called Elfred ; his mother was the noble and religious Osburga, [the 
daughter] of the iUustrious Oslac, the cupbearer of king Adelwolf. 

A.D. 850. 

A.D. 851. Ceorl, earl of Devonshire, fought against the Danes 
.at Wincanbeorh, and conquered them ; a great army of the Danes 
had arrived in three hundred and fifty ships, at the mouth of the 
Thames, and piUaged Canterbur}-, and had put to flight Brichtwulf, 
the king of the Mercians, who, along with his army, had come to 
fitght with them. When king Athelwulf heard of this, he, along 
with his son Athelbald, collected an army, and met them at a 
place called Aclea, and overcame them in battle. 

A.D. 852. Bertulf, king of the Mercians, died, and Burchred 

* Now HengBion-hill, in Cornwall. 

' Apparently an error arimng from a mistraniilation of the Saxon. 8ee the 
Saxon Chron., and Florence of Worcester, a. p. S38. 



90 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [^.11.862— 

succeeded him. In this same year the brother of Athelwulf, 
AthelstaD, the king of the people of Kent, and earl (or duke) 
Alchere, defeated the army of the pagans, and took nine of their 
ships at Sandwich. 

A. D. 853. Burchred, king of the Mercians, strengthened by the 
assistance of Athelwulf, the king of the West Saxons, reduced the 
Midland Britons, that is, the Welshmen, under his sway. Athel- 
wulf sent his son Alfred to pope Leo, to be anointed as king; 
the pope received him as his son, and consecrated him. 

A.D. 854. Duke Alchere, with the men of Kent, and duke 
Huda, with the men of Somerset, engaged the pagans at the isle 
[of Thanet*], but were slain. Eardulf removed the bishopric of 
Lindisfame. Burchred took [to wife] the daughter of Athelwulf. 
Wulfere became archbishop of York. 

A.D. 855. After having given the tenth part of his kingdom to 
the churches of God, king Athewulf went to Rome, where he and 
his son Alfred remained one year ; upon his return he took to wife 
Judith, the daughter of Charles the Bald, the king of the Franks. 

A.D. 856. 

A.D. 857. 

A.D. 858. On the death of Athewulf, king of the West Saxons, 
his son Adelbold took the kingdom, and, to his eternal disgrace, 
married his father's wife, Judith, the daughter of Charles. 

A.D. 859. St. Edmund succeeded to the kingdom of the East 
Angles. Kined, the king of the Scots, died, and was succeeded 
by Dovenald. 

A. D. 860. King Athelbald died, and was succeeded by Athel- 
bert, who also had taken the kingdom of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, 
after the death of his uncle Adelstan. 

A.D. 861. 

A.D. 862. 

A. D. 863. St. Swithin, bishop of Winchester, ascended into the 
heavens. Dovenald, king of the Scots, died. 

A. D. 864. Ethelbert, king of West Saxony and Kent, died, and 
was succeeded by his brother Ethelred. 

A.D. 865. An army of the pagans, of which the leaders were 
I war and Hubba, came into England, and took up their quarten 
in East Anglia. 

A.D. 866. The army of the pagans, which was under the direc- 
tion of Iwar and Hubba, came to York. The Northumbrians cast 
off their king Osbrich, and took to themselves another ignoble per- 
sonage named Aella. 

A.D. 867. Osbrich and Aella, having made peace with each 
other, for their mutual advantage, marched to York, and having 
broken down the wall, both these kings were killed in their attack 
upon the pagans, and an innumerable multitude of their peopte 
fell with them ; the remainder made peace with them. The Danes, 
however, placing themselves under a single ruler, appointed Egbert 
king over the Northumbrians. In the same year died Alchstan. 
bishop of Shirburn. 

> See the Saxon Chron. a. d. 853. 



▲.DI.87S.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 91 

A.D. 868. A comet appeared. Iwar and Hubba came from 
Northumbria to Nottingham, but they were opposed by Burchred, 
the king of the Mercians, who was strengthened by the aid of king 
Ethebed and his brother Alfred. Alfred took to wife the daughter 
of Ethelred, sumamed the Great, the earl of the Gaians, and 
Eadbuiga, one of the kingly family of the Mercians. 

A. D. 869. Iwar and Hubba returned into Northumbria, pillaging 
and slaying very many people. 

A.D. 870. Iwar and Hubba, along with many thousands of the 
Danes, came to East Anglia, and put to death St. Edmund, and 
bishop Humbert along with him. Ceolnoth, archbishop of Can- 
terbury, died, and was succeeded by Ethelred. 

A.D. 871. The army of the pagans advanced into West Saxony 
as far as Reading ; two kings, Basrechg' and Haldene, were its 
leaders. Ethelwulf, the earl of Beikshire, opposing them, slew at 
En^efeld earl Sydroc the elder ; and after four days king Athelred 
and his brother Alfred came up ; whereupon a battle having been 
fought, many fell on each side, and then the before-mentioned earl 
Athelwulf was killed. Again, after four days, king Athelred and 
his brother Alfred fought against them at Essendun. The pagans 
clivided themselves into two troops, one of which was led by the 
two kings already mentioned, while all the earls acted as generals 
to the other. Hereupon Athelred divided his army into two parts, 
with one of which he attacked the two kings, and slew one of 
them, that is, Basrech ; while the second division, under Alfred, 
engaged with the earls, and killed four of them, namely, Sydroc 
the younger, Osbem, Freana, and Harold. After a few days 
there was again a fight at Basing, when the Danes had the victory, 
and bishop Alchmund was killed. Again, there was another battle 
at Reading. Then king Ethelred died, and was succeeded by his 
brother AKred. His wife, Elswitha, bore him two sons, Edward 
and Agelward, and three daughters, Elfletha, Ethelgiva, and Elf- 
thritha. After the expiration of a month, he fought against the 
pagans at Wilton, but the Danes had the victory, for they were 
numerous, while the English were few ; for they had been worn 
out with much fighting, in which conflicts there had fallen, on the 
side of the pagans, one king and nine eark. 

A.D. 872. Alchwin, bishop of the Wiccians, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by that most learned man Wereftid, who had been ordained 
by Ethered, archbishop of Canterbury. At the command of king 
Alfred he translated into Saxon, out of the Latin language, the 
books of the Dialogues of the blessed Gregory. At this time the 
Northumbrians drove out their king Egbert, and archbishop Wul- 
fere. The army of the pagans proceeded from Reading to London, 
and there passed the winter ; the people of Mercia made peace 
with them. 

A.D. 873. The army of the pagans already mentioned, with 

> The TariatioiiB which occur in the form of this name, — ^Beigsecg, BeicgBe<^ 
Bugsnc, Bachaecg — seem to point out as its original the Scandinavian Benerk, a 
term used to denote a champion whose valour was supposed to proceed from 
supenntonl infioenca See Ihre, Qloss. Suio-Goth. L 172. 



92 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.Ol 87^- 

tbeir king Haldene, spent the winter at Torkesey in Lindsey. 
Egbert, the king of the Northombrians, died, and Rktsic was made 
king. Wnlfere the archbishop was restored to his see. 

A.D. 874. Aldene and his army, having removed themselves 
from Lindsey, spent the winter at Repedune, where three other 
kings took up their abode with him, that is to say, Godmn, Oske- 
tin, and Andwen ; and they expelled king Burchred from the 
kingdom of the Mercians. He went to Rome, and there he died, 
and was buried in the church of St. Mary, within the Saxon 
school. The Danes entrusted the kingdom of the Mercians to 
Ceolwulf. 

A.D. 875. One portion of the army under Haldene, having 
reduced Northumbria under their jurisdiction, there remained; 
while the other part, under three kings, |>assed the winter at Cam- 
bridge. In a naval battle against ^ seven of the ships of the pagans, 
king Alfred took one of them, and the others esc24>ed by fl^fat 
Bishop Eardulf and abbot Edred, having taken the body of St 
Cuthbert from Lindisfame, wandered about here and there for 
seven years. 

A.D. 876. Ricsig, king of the Northumbrians, died, and was 
succeeded by Egbert. T^e army of the three kings came to Wer- 
ham,' and West Saxony. King Alfred entered into a treaty of 
peace with them, and took hostages from them ; but on the night 
next ensuing they broke the treaty and departed, and plundered 
round about Exeter, that is, Caerwisc. The heathen RoUo, a 
Dane by nation, invaded Normandy with his people, and took 
possession of it ; he was afterwards baptized, and called Rodbert 

A.D. 877. The naval force of the pagans perished in the sea 
with one hundred and twenty [ships'], and Haldene with twenty- 
three ships sailed to Devonshire, where they were put to death by 
the followers of king Alfred, and with them one thousand, two 
hundred, and twenty men. The other army went from Exeter to 
Chippenham, along with a great multitude, which had recently 
arrived from Denmark. But king Alfred being deserted by his 
followers, and left with a few persons, hid himself in the forests. 
But after a time, having been encouraged in a vision by the blessed 
Cuthbert, he advanced against his enemies to a place called Ethan- 
dun, and overcame them in battle; and they, losing confidence, 
gave hostages, and made oath that they would depart from the 
kingdom ; and their king, Godrun, promised that he would become 
a Christian. 

A. D. 878. Godrun was baptized, and king Alfred received him 
from the holy font, and afterwards he gave him East Anglia, in 
which St. Aedmund had reigned, and he called him Athelstan. 
Charles the Bald, the king of the Franks, died. 

A. D. 879. A new army of the pagans came into England, and 

* Simoon of Durham says they were six in number, but the text ia supported 
by the Saxon Chronicle. 

' l^bably we should read Werham in West Saxony, or Warehasi in Dorset- 
•hire. 

* See the Saxon Chronicle. 



A.D.886.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 93 

took up their abode at Fulenham [Fulham], near the river Thames. 
Het, tiie king of the Scots, is killed. 

A. D. 880. Godnin, with his people, began to inhabit East Anglia. 
The army which had come to Fulenham [Fulham] passed over the 
sea, and remained for one year at Ghent. Louis, king of the 
Franks, the son of Charles the Great, died. 

A.D. 881. When the same army came into France, it introduced 
war, and had a taste of it. At this time many monasteries of the 
Franks were devastated; so much so, that the brethren of the 
monastery of St. Benedict ' took up his bones out of their tomb, 
and wandered about hither and thither. 

A. D. 882. The same army came into France by the river Meuse, 
and there settled for the winter. King Alfred overcame the ships 
of the pagans in a naval battle, and captured two of them. 

A. D. 883. The army which has been already mentioned occupied 
Cundoth,' and committed depredations therein for one year. King 
Alfred ^as we have already mentioned), upon the death of Iwar and 
Haldene, began to people those parts of Northumbria which had 
been devastated. At this time St. Cuthbert appeared in a vision to 
abbot Eladred, and commanded him to announce to the bishop, 
and the whole nation of the Angles and Danes, that they should 
redeem, by the payment of the purchase-money, Guthred, the son 
of Ardecnut, whom the Danes had sold as a slave to a certain 
widow woman at Witingeham,' and should make him king over the 
Northumbrians. This was done, and he reigned over York. Then 
the see, which had formerly existed at Lindisfame, was fixed at 
Cuncacestre [Chester-le-Street]. 

A.D. 884. Pope Marinus sent* many presents to king Alfred, 
amongst which was a small portion of the wood of our Lord's cross; 
and, out of his aflFection for him, he freed the school of the Saxons 
from all tribute and tax. 

A.D. 885. The army of the pagans, which we have already men- 
tioned, was divided into two parts, of which one went into the 
eastern part of France; the other, returning into England, laid 
siege to Rochester ; but king Alfred drove them away, and raised 
the siege. King Alfred sent a naval army for the defence of East 
Anglia, and there sixteen piratical vessels were discovered and cap^ 
tured at Sturemuth.* On their return, however, they fell in with 
a large force of the pagans, and, having engaged them, they were 
conquered. In the same year, while Charles, the king of the 
Franks, was hunting, he was torn by the tusks of a wild boar, anid 
was succeeded by his brother Louis ; their father Louis was the 
brothef of the queen Judith, whom Athelwulf had married. Pope 
Marinus died. 

A.D. 886. The pagan army returned from the eastern part of 

* See Simeon of Durham, p. 477. ' Conde but TEscaat, in Holland. 

* Probably Whittingbam, in the west of Korthumberland, or perhaps Whii- 
iingham in Haddingtonshire. 

* The Saxon Chronicle places this event a year earlier, but Simeon informs us' 
that it took place immediately before the death of the pope, which occurred in 
884. The text is therefore correct 

* Probably at Harwich. 



94 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF BMGLAND. [a.]Ii 886— 

France into the western, and came to Paris by the river Seine; thej 
besieged the city for a whole year, hot without any soooess. King 
Alfred laid siege to the city of London, and tock it; die Ang^ 
flocked to him, and the I>aiM» retreated. He entrusted Etkelredp 
the earl of the Mercians, with the restoration of the dty. 

A.D. 887. Abandoning the city of Paris, the army of the pagans 
went by the Seine to the Mame, and so to Caedzi [Chezy], and 
they there spent a year in plundering; and having entered the 
mouth of the river Joma [Yonne], they remained a year there, ta 
the great damage of the district. Charles, the long of the Franks, 
was expelled from his kingdom by his brother's son, Elmulf ; forty 
days after which he died. The kingdom of the Franks having been 
hereupon divided into five parts, this same Elmulf obtained the 
districts to the east of the river Rhine ; Rodulf had the midland 
kingdom, Odo the western ; while Lombardy, and all the regions 
on that side of the mountains, became the property of Brengar 
and Wido. 

A.D. 888. King Alfred built two monasteries: one for monks, in 
the place called Eathelingeie ; the other for nuns, near the eastern 
0ite of Shaftsbury, and herein he placed, as its abbess, his daughter 
Ethelgiva. 

A.D. 889. Ethelred,' archbbhop of Canterbury, died, and Pleg- 
mund succeeded. 

A.D. 890. 

A.D. 891. Godrun-Ethektan, king of the East Angles, died. 

A. D. 892. Wulfere, archbishop of York, died, in the thirty-ninth 
year of his episcopate. 

A.D. 893. The pagan king Hesteng entered the mouth of the 
Thames with eighty ships, and erected a fortress for himself at 
Middeltune. 

A.D. 894. 

A.D. 895. 

A.D. 896. 

A.D. 897. After having built some long and swift-sailing ships, 
the army of the pagans pillaged the sea-coasts, and grievously 
harassed the land of the West Saxons. To oppose these, king 
Alfred caused other ships to be built, much larger and higher than 
the former ; and having sent them to sea, they captured twenty of 
the enemy's vessels, and killed their crews. 

A.D. 898. Rollo, the first duke of the Normans, besieged Char- 
tres ; but Walzelin,' the bishop of the same city, issued forth, 
bearing in his hands the tunic of St. Mary, and put EloUo to flight, 
and delivered the city. 

A.D. 899. 

A. D. 900. Ethelbald, archbishop of York, was ordained. 

A.D. 901. King Alfred died on the fifth of the kalends of No- 
vember [28th Oct.], in the thirtieth year of his reign, and was 
buried at Winchester. He was succeeded by his son Edward, sur- 
named the Elder, an efficient man ; who by force wrang from the 

^ The dates of these events are ohscure. 
' See Simeon of Durham, p. 499, note *. 



A.1X916.1 CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 95 

hands of the Danes East Saxony, East Anglia, and very many pro- 
vinces of Mercia. His brother Athelwold, contrary to the wishes 
both of the king and the people, took to wife a certain consecrated 
virgin, and held Winbum against the king. Being driven from 
thence, he departed into Northumbria, and there he was made 
their king and their chief ruler. King Edward had four sons ; the 
eldest was Athelstan, who was bom of a most noble woman, named 
Egwinna. By his queen Edgiva he had Edwin, Edmund, and 
Edred: he had also four daughters — Eadburga the virgin; the 
second became the wife of Otto, the emperor of the Romans ; 
the third married Charles, the king of the Franks ; the fourth 
was the wife of Sihtric, the king of the Northumbrians. This 
year died Eamulf,' bishop of Lindisfame, and was succeeded by 
Cuthred. 

A. D. 902. 

A.D. 903. The holy priest Grimbald (who was also the master 
of king Alfred), and Virgilius, the venerable abbot from Scotland, 
and the powerful earl Athulf, the brother of queen Elswitha, the 
wife of kmg Alfred, died. 

A.D. 904. The men of Kent, having engaged with a multitude 
of the Danish pirates at Holme, obtained the victory. 

A.D. 905. The moon was fearfully obscured. That servant of 
Christ, queen Elswitha, died ; it was she who built the monastery 
for nuns at Wilton. 

A.D. 906. The army of the pagans made peace with king Ed- 
ward. Rollo, called also Rodbert, the first duke of the Normans, 
deceased, and was succeeded by his son William Longsword. A 
comet appeared. 

A.D. 907. 

A.D. 908. Kaerlegion (now called Leicester) was rebuUt at the 
command of king Edward. In this same year died Dofnald, king 
of the Scots. 

A.D. 909. 

A. D. 910. The bones of the holy Oswald, long and martyr, were 
translated from Bardeney into Mercia. 

A.D. 911. A celebrated battle was fought between the Angles 
and Danes in the province of Stamford, at a place called Totenhall; 
and at last the Angles obtained the victory. 

A.D. 912. Ethelred, duke of the Mercians, died; after whom his 
wife Aelfleda, the daughter of king Alfred, ruled the kingdom of 
the Mercians. 

A.D. 913. Aelfleda, the lady of the Mercians, built the borough 
at Scoriate. 

A.D. 914. Alfleda built Tameworthe. Sihtric slew king Moll. 

A.D. 915. Werefrid, the holy bishop of the Wiccians (that is, of 
Worcester), died, and was succeeded by Adelhun. Elfleda built 
Edesbiri and Warewic. 

A.D. 916. The most invincible king Edward received Bedford 
into his power, and commanded a town to be built on the southern 

' The Chronicle of Hdroee here differs from Simeon, who ucribee thia biihop** 
obit to the year 899. 



d6 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.Di 917— 

side of the river Ouse. Elfleda foanded Chirebiri» Warebiri» and 
Rancoyen.' 

A.D. 917. Elfleda sent an anny into Wales; and after havii^ 
beaten the Webh« she broke into Bretallanmere/ where the wife c^ 
the Webh king was captured^ along with twenty-fonr men, and 
brought into Mercia. 

A.D. 918. Elfleda stormed and took Derby, where she lost four 
of her bravest generals. 

A.D. 919. Elfleda took Leicester, and afterwards died at Tam- 
worth. 

A. D. 920. King Edward disinherited Elfwinna, the dao^ter of 
his sister Elfleda. In this year the king built Glademuth. King 
Sihtric broke in upon Devonport. Charles, the king of the Franks, 
who was also called Martell, the destroyer of churdies, the son of 
Louis, who was the son of Charles the Bald, died. 

A. D. 921. These persons did homage to Icing Edward : the king 
of the Scots, and his whole nation ; and Reinald, the king of the 
Danes, who inhabit Northumbria ; and king Sihtric. 

A.D. 922. King Egelward, the brother of king Edward, died. 
Wilfrid succeeded Athelhun. 

A.D. 923. 

A.D. 924. That most invincible king of the Angles, the Danes, 
tiie men of Cambria, and the Britons, Edward, by surname the 
.Elder, died, and was succeeded by his son Athelstan ; he was con- 
secrated by Athelm, the archbishop of Canterbury. 

A.D. 925. The powerful king Adielstan gave his sister to Sihtric, 
the king of the Northumbrians. Wigred, the bishop of Lindisfame, 
was consecrated. 

A.D. 926. King Sihtric died, and Athelstan added his kingdom 
to his own realm, after having driven out Guthferth, Sihtric's son. 
He also conquered in battle Huwal, king of the Britons, and Con- 
stantine, the king of the Scots, and Wuer, the king of the Wenti, 
and put them to flight. They petitioned him for peace, and entered 
into a treaty with him, which they confirmed with an oath. 

A.D. 927. 

A.D. 928. 

A.D. 929. Kinewald succeeded Wilfrid, the bishop of the 
Wiccians. 

A. D. 930. 

A.D. 931. 

A.D. 932. During his own lifetime, St. Frithestan ordained in his 
stead, as bishop of Winchester, that religious man, Brinstan. 

A.D. 933. St. Frithestan died. Edwin, the brother of king 
Athelstan, perished in the sea. 

A.D. 934. King Athelstan ravaged Scotland, as far as Dunfoeder 
and Wertermore, with an army by land, and with his naval forces 
as far as Catenes, because Constantine had violated the treaty into 
which he had entered. St. Brinstan, bishop of Winchester, died. 

^ Now Cherfoury in SbropBhire, Wardborough in Oxfordshire, and Runcorn in 
Cheshire, all within Mercia. 

' Brecenan-mere, Saxon Chron. ; Brycenan-mere, Simeon of Doiham ; probabl j 
Breknock-mere, situated about two miles from Breknock. 



A.n.94e.]' CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 97 

A.D. 935. Elphege, a monk, and the relative of the blessed 
Dunstan» received tibe bishopric of Winchester. 

A.D. 936. Aniaf, king of Ireland, entered the mouth of the river 
Dumber with six hundred and fifteen ships ; he was met at Bni- 
nanburch by king Athebtan and his brother Edmund, where a 
battle was fought, in which five kings and seven dukes fell, and 
they [the English] returned with triumph. 

A.D. 937. 

A.D. 938. 

A.D. 939. Ralph, the king of the Franks, the son of Conrad, 
duke of Burgundy, died. 

A.D. 940. King Athelstan died on the sixth' of the kalends of 
November, on the fourth day of the week, and in the fourteenth 
indiction; he was buried at Malmesbury, and was succeeded by his 
brother Edmund. 

A.D. 941. Casting off the fealty which they had sworn to Ed- 
mund, the Northumbrians chose as their own king Anlaf, king of 
the Norwegians. He came to Hampton [Southampton], and be- 
sieged it ; but prevailing nothing, he marched his army to Tarn- 
worth, and, having pillaged the whole country, he was on his 
return, when he was encountered by king Edmund, and they 
immediately would have joined in battle, had not the two arch- 
bishops, Odo and Wulstan, appeased them. So peace was made, 
and Wathlingestrete was fixed as the limit of each kingdom. Im- 
mediately after having burnt and plundered the church of St. 
Baldred, in Tiningham,' Anlaf died. The son of Sihtric, also named 
Anlaf, reigned in the stead of his father. 

A.D. 942. King Edmund took five cities, namely, Lincoln, Not- 
tingham, Derby, Leicester, and Stamford, entirely out of the hands 
of the Danes. 

A.D. 943. When Elfgiva, the holy queen of king Edmund, gave 
birth to Edgar, St. Dunstan — at that time abbot of Glastonbury, 
but afterwards bishop of Winchester — heard voices singing on high, 
and saying, " Peace to the church of the Angles in the time of our 
St. Dunstan, and the boy now bom ! " In the same year king 
Edmund, after having overcome by force king Anlaf, the son of 
Sihtric, gave credence to his professions, and received him from 
tke holy laver [of baptism], and afterwards stood for king Reinold, 
while he was being confirmed by the bishop. Constantine, king oi 
the Scots, died. 

A.D. 944. King Edmund expelled Anlaf and Reinold out of 
Northumbrian because they broke the peace into which they had 
entered widi.him. 

A.D. 945. King Edmund ravaged the land of the Cumbrians; 
and, after having reduced it for himself, he gave it into the keeping 
of Malcolm, king of the Scots. 

A. D. 946. Edmund, the illustrious king of the Angles, while he 
was engi^ed in attempting to succour his steward, who was in 

1 The dates here giTon enable na to decide with certainty that Athelatan died 
iqxm Wednesday, 27th October, 941. 
* The church of St Baldred, at Tinningham, in Lothian. See Fordiin, L 184. 
VOL. IV. H 



98 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [A.II.M6— 

danger of being killed by a wicked robber named Leof, was himself 
slain by that person, at Widechirche, upon the third * day of the 
week, being the day of St. Augustine, the teacher of the An^es, in 
the fourth indiction, and was buried at Glastonbury. His brother 
Edred succeeded him, and was consecrated by St. Odo, the arch- 
bishop. In the same year he obtained possession of Northumbria, 
which had rebelled against him ; and the Scots submitted to him 
without fighting, 

A.D. 947. Anlaf, who had been driven from the kingdom of 
Northumbria, returned with a fleet, and was restored to the realm. 

A.D. 948. The Northumbrians cast off Anlaf, and swore fealty to 
Edred, the king of the Angles ; but they did not long preserve it. 

A. D. 949. The Northumbrians (who do not know what it is to 
keep faith) appointed one Eyrie, of Danish descent, to be king 
over them. 

A.D. 950. Edred, the king of the Angles, ravaged Northumber- 
land ; and in this devastation the monastery whidi St. Wilfrid had 
built at Ripon was burnt down. The Northumbrians, in their fear, 
cast off Eyrie, the son of Harold, whom they had constituted their 
king. He was the last of their kings, and after him came earis;' 
the first of whom was Osulf, with whom Oslac was afterwards asso« 
ciated. The elder Walleve succeeded ; after whom came his son 
Uhtred, and after Uhtred came his brother Edolf-Cudel, and after 
him his brother Aldred. He was succeeded by Eadulf, the son of 
Cospatric, the son of the Uhtred already mentioned. To Eadulf 
succeeded Siward, and after him Tosti, the brother of king Harold ; 
then came Morkar, who entrusted the earldom to Osulf, the son of 
earl Edulf ; upon the expulsion of whom, Cospi succeeded, and 
after him Cospatric, the son of Maldred. This Cospatric was the 
son of Maldred, by Aldgitha, the daughter of earl Uhctred, and 
Elfgiva, the daughter of king Ethelred. This Cospatric was the 
father of Dolfin, Walleve, and Cospatric. After him, the earidom 
was given to Waltheve, the son of earl Siward. When Waltheve 
was taken prisoner, the earldom was entrusted to the care of 
bishop Walcher ; upon whose death, the king gave the earldom to 
Albius ; but he having returned home to his country, Robert de 
Moubrai succeeded. Upon his capture, the kings themselves hence- 
forth retained the earldom in their own hands ; first of all, William 
the younger, then Henry, afterwards Stephen, and after him Henry 
the Second. 

A.D. 961. St. Elphege,*^ bishop of Winchester, was removed from 
this world ; his successor was Elfsi. 

A. D. 952. Edred, king of the Angles, placed Wulstan, archbishop 
of York, in the closest custody. 

A. D. 953. Upon the release of Wulstan from his confinement, 
the honour of the episcopate was restored to Dorchester. 

* Tuesday, 26th May, a.d. 946. 

' TMb account of the earls of Northumberland is abridged from Simeon of 
Durham. 

' The chronology again returns to that of the Saxon Chronicle, from which 
authority we learn that the obit occurred upon 12th March* 



A.D.96a.l CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 9$ 

A.D. 954. Edred» the king of the Angles, being siek, sent for 
St. Dunstan the abbot, his confessor. As he was on his way to 
the palace, a voice sounded in his ears, which said, " King Edred 
now rests in peace." His horse, unable to bear this voice, fell to 
the ground, and died. The king was buried at Winchester, and 
was succeeded b^ Edwy, the son of his brother Edmund, by the 
hdy queen Ealfgiva ; he was consecrated by archbbhop Odo. 

A.D. 955. 

A. D. 956. The blessed abbot Dunstan, having been proscribed 
by king Edwy, for the cause of justice, passed over the sea, and 
spent the period of his banishment in the monastery which is 
called Blandinum. Wulstan, archbishop of York, died, and was 
succeeded by Oskitell. 

A.D. 957- The people of Mercia and Northumberland, despising 
king Edwy, chose his brother Edgar, who forthwith recalled the 
blessed Dunstan from his exile, and upon the decease of Kinewald 
he gave him the bishopric of Worcester, and he was consecrated 
by archbishop Odo. Louis, the king of the Franks, died ; he was 
the son of king Ralph, and was succeeded by Lothaire. The 
dominical letter was D. 

A. D. 958. St. Odo, archbishop of Canterbury, departed to Christ. 
He was succeeded by Elflius,^ the bishop of Winchester, in whose 
stead Brihtelm was ordained. 

A.D. 959. Elfsy, archbishop of Canterbury, died from exposure 
to the severity of the cold, while he was in the Alpine mountains, 
being at that time on his way to Rome to procure his pall. In the 
same year died king Edwy, and was buried at Winchester; and his 
brother Edgar became monarch of the whole of England, being 
then in the seventeenth year of his age, five hundred and ten years 
after the arrival of the Angles in Britain, and three hundrea and 
sixty-three years from that of St. Augustine. In this same year 
foihtelm, bishq> of the people of Dorset, was elected to the pri- 
macy of the see of Canterbury ; but appearing to be somewhat 
inefficient, he returned to his own diocese at the king's command. 
Hereupon the blessed Dunstan, bishop of Worcester, by God's 
will and at the instigation of the counsellors, was appointed primate 
and patriarch of the Angles. Profiting much by his teachmg and 
learning, king Edgar expelled the trifling secular clerks from their 
abodes, and appointed forty monasteries of monks. 

A. D. 960. St. Dunstan, having gone to Rome, in the third in- 
diction, obtained the pall from pope John ; and on his return he 
procured from the king, by his entreaties, that the humble monk 
Oswald (the cousin of his predecessor Odo) should be ordained 
bishop of the see of Worcester ; and so the holy man Oswald was 
consecrated by the blessed Dunstan. 

A.D. 961. Indulf, the king of the Scots, was killed. 

A.D. 962. 

A.D. 963. The venerable abbot Aethelwold, who had been brought 
up by the blessed Dunstan, succeeded Brihtelm in the episcopal 
see of Winchester. At the command of king Edgar, St. Adelwold 

' ▲ clerical error for Elfnus. See the following year. 

h2 



100 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENOiAND. [▲.!!. 96i-- 

expelled the clerks and introduced nK>nks into the old monastery 
of Windiester. 

▲. D. 964. The peaceful king of the Angles, Edgar, took to wife 
the daughter of Ordgar, the duke of Devonshire, Ebthrida by 
name; by whom he had two sons, Edmund and Egelred. By 
Eifleda the Fair, the daughter of duke Ordmer. he had previously 
had Edward (who was afterwards king and martjrr), and by St 
Wultritha he had Edgitha, a virgin dedicated to God. In the 
same year kiog Edgar placed monks in New Minster and Middilton, 
and appointed as their abbots Etelgar and Kineard respectively. 

A. D. 965. Duf, the king of the Scots, was slain. 

A.n. 966. 

A.D. 967. King Edgar placed nuns (and St. Merwinna as their 
abbess) in the monastery of Rumsey, which had been built by his 
grandfather, king Edward. 

A. n. 968. Bishop Aldred died at St. Cutbbert's, in Conkeoestre; 
he was succeeded by Elfly.^ The Sunday letter was D. 

A. D. 969. That peaceful king of the English, Edgar, gave in- 
junctions to his holy bishops, Dunstan of Canterbury, Oswald of 
Worcester, and Etelwold,' that they should expel the clerks and 
introduce monks into the larger monasteries throu^out Mercia. 
In the execution of this order, St. Oswald placed monks in the 
church of Worcester, and placed over them the religious man 
Wisin. Culenus, the king of the Scot's, was slain. 

A.D. 970. St. Ethelwold the bishop raised from the tomb the 
relics of St. Swithun, and most affectionately deposited th&cn in the 
church of the apostles St. Peter and Paul. 

A.D. 971. Edmund the etbeling, the son of king Edgar, died; 
likewise Ordgar, duke of Devonshire, the father-in-law of the king. 
The former of these was buried in the monastery of Rumsey, and 
the second was buried with much honour at Exeter. 

A.D. 972. Oshitell, archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded 
by his kinsman Oswald, bishop of Worcester, who received the pall 
from pope Stephen. 

A.D. 973. The peaceful king of England, Edgar, was consecrated 
as the first king of the whole island of Britain, at the city Acca- 
manni,' by the blessed prelates Dunstan and Oswald, and by the 
other bishops of the whole of England, with the greatest honour 
and glory. No long time afterwards he sailed round the northern 
part of Britain with an immense fleet, and landed at the city of 
Chester, where he had directed that he should be met by eight 
inferior kings ; namely, Kineth, tlie king of the Scots ; Malcolm, 
king of the Cumbrians ; and Maccus, the king of many of the 
islands; and five others, that is to say, Dufnal, Sifert, Huwal, 
Jacob, and Ulkil; who should make oath that they would be faith- 
ful to him, and would assist him by land and sea. He entered into 
a boat with them one day; and when they had taken their places at 
the oars, he assumed the rudder, and skilfully steered through the 
stream of the river De, while they sailed from the palace to the 

^ Aelfiiig, or Elfsi, in Simeon of Durham. ' He waa biahop of Winchester. 
' Akemannea-ceaatre^ Saxon Chronicle ; now Bath. 



A.D. 97«.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 101 

monastery of St. John the Baptist, attended by a large company of 
dukes and nobles, who also went by water. Here he made an 
address to them, and then sailed back to his palace with the same 
pomp ; and as he entered into it, he is reported to have remarked 
to his nobles, that now at length it might be allowed to all his suc- 
cessors to boast that at last he had become monarch of England, 
when he could make such honourable processions, and had so 
many kings to minister to him. 

A.D. 974. A very great earthquake occurred throughout all 
England. 

A.D. 975. The peace-loving king Edgar, — ^the monarch of the 
English realm, the flower and the honour of its kings, no less 
remarkaUe among the English than was Romulus among the 
Romans, Cyrus among the Persians, Alexander among the Mace- 
donians, Charles the Great among the Franks, or Arthur among 
the Britons — after having done all that it became a prince to do, 
departed from this life on the eighth of the ides of July* in the 
thirty-second year of his age, and left Edward (afterwards king and 
martyr) the heir of his kingdom and his virtues. His body was 
carried to Glastonbury, and there buried in kingly manner. During 
his lifetime he had assembled three thousand six hundred stout 
ships ; and each year, after Easter, it was his custom to collect 
one thousand two hundred on the eastern coast of the island, as 
many on the western, and as many on the southern. He then used 
to ssol towards the west in the eastern fleet ; and having dismissed 
it, he then went northwards with the western squadron ; which 
having been sent homewards, he then returned in the northern to 
the eastern fleet. By this arrangement, he sailed round the whole 
island every summer ; and his object in doing this was to defend 
his kingdom against internal disturbances, and to exercise his men 
in warlike occupations. During the time of winter and spring, it 
was his wont to travel throughout all the provinces of England, 
and diligently to investigate how the laws and statutes which had 
been decreed were observed by his chief men, lest the poor should 
be wrongfully oppressed, and their suits prejudged by their stronger 
neighbours. In the former of these customs he showed himself an 
encourager of fortitude, in the other of justice, and in both he 
exhibited his regard for the interests of the state and the kingdom. 
This caused fear everywhere to his enemies, and increased the love 
which was borne to him by all his subjects. The whole condition 
of the kingdom was disturbed by his decease, and, after the peaceful 
time of rejoicing which had extended throughout the whole of 
his reign, distress began to spring up everywhere. There was 
a great dispute about die thrusting of tfie monks from the monas- 
teries, and the choice of a king ; but at last, by the instrumentality 
of the archbishops Dunstan and Oswald, and other catholic men, 
who resisted the opposition made against the monks, they were 
able firmly to retain their possessions. Edward the etheling was 
consecrated king, as his father had directed ; and, for the time, his 
brother Eilred was passed by. A comet appeared this autumn. 
' A.D. 976. 



r02 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.D.977— 

A. D. 977. A very great synod was held in East Anglia, at a town 
called Hireling.^ Afterwards^ while another synod was sitting at 
Calne, the elders of the whole of England who were there assembled, 
with the exception of St. Dunstan, fell from the upper chamber. 
Some of them were killed, and some of them escaped the peril of 
death with difficulty. 

A. D. 978. Edward* king of England, was secretly stabbed with 
a dagger by the orders of his step-mother, queen Alstritha, at a 
place caUed Corvesgate; and so was unjustly slain by his own 
people. He was buried at Werham, in a fashion unbecoming 
a king. His brother Eldred, the illustrious etheling, (of elegant 
manners, a beautiful countenance, and comely presence,) was con- 
secrated king at Kingistun, after the festival of Easter, upon Sunday, 
the eighteenth of the kalends of May [14th Apr'd], by the holy 
archbishops Dunstan and Oswald, and ten bishops. He held the 
kingdom for thirty-eight years, in many calamities, and this on 
account of the murder of his brother, whom his mother had 
wickedly slain. The blessed Dunstan had openly prophesied (for 
he was full of the spirit of prophecy) that these troubles would 
happen to him in his kingdom, using these words : " Inasmuch as 
thou hast aspired to the kingdom by the death of thy brother, 
whom thy mother ignominiously slew, therefore hear thou the word 
of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord : The sword shall not depart from 
thy house, but shall rage against thee all the days of thy life, and 
shall slay thy seed, until thy kingdom shall be transferred into 
another kingdom, the service and language of which the nation 
over which Uiou rulest knoweth not ; nor shall thy sin, nor the sm 
of thy mother, nor the sins of the men who entered with thee into 
this wicked counsel, be expiated save by a long punishment." 
Therefore, after this there appeared over the whole of England, at 
midnight, a cloud, at one time like blood, at another time like fire, 
and afterwards it separated itself into various rays, and assumed 
divers colours, and then disappeared altogether about the dawn 
of day. 

A.D. 979. Pope John died, and was succeeded by Benedict. 
Ailtritha, formerly the queen, and the murderess of St. Edward the 
king, in her repentance, built two monasteries, Warewelle and 
Ambresbiri. Elfere, the duke of the Mercians, came to Werram, 
with a great multitude of people, and gave orders that the body of 
St. Edward, the king and martyr, should be taken up from the 
tomb, whereat many miracles had been performed. When the 
earth was removed, it was discovered that the body was whole and 
entire from every wound and corruption ; and, after having been 
washed and clothed in new garments, it was conveyed to Scatesbiri,' 
and there honourably buried. 

A.D. 980. Pope Benedict died, and was succeeded by Dionysius, 
the one hundred and fortieth pope. Southampton was pillaged by 

^ * The mune of this locality occurs in many different forma in the earUer-writen : 
Spelman belicTes that the meeting occurred at Kirtling, in Cambridgeshire; 
but Qibson prefers the claims of Kirtlington, in Oxford. As it was oitnaied 
within the kingdom of East Anglia, the former seems the more probable localx^* 
' Shaftesbury. 



A.D.ML] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 103 

the Danish pirates, and nearly all its citizens were either killed or 
carried away into captivity. Afterwards the island of Tenethland, 
and the province of the city of Legions/ were destroyed by these 
Norwegian fireebooters. 

A.D. 981. The monastery of St. Petroc the confessor, in Corn- 
wall, was consumed by these same pirates, who made frequent 
descents on die sea-coasts in Cornwall and Devonshire. 

A.D. 982. Pope Dionysius died, and was succeeded by Boniface; 
but he dying in the same year, Benedict became pope. Four 
piratical vessels landed at Porland, and devastated the provinces of 
the people of Dorset. The city of London was destroyed by fire. 

A.D. 983. Elfere, the duke of the Mercians, the kinsman of 
Edgar, king of England, died, and his son Alfric took the duchy. 

A.D. 984. St. Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, departed to 
Christ, on the kalends of August [1st Aug.], and was succeeded by 
St. Elfeg, abbot of Bath. He assumed the religious garb in the 
monastery of Horehirst.' 

A.D. 985. 

A.D. 986. Eldred, the king of the English, in consequence of 
some disagreements, laid siege to the city of Rochester ; but gain- 
ing nothing, he departed thence in anger, and ravaged the lands of 
St. Andrew the Apostle. Elfric, the duke of the Mercians, the son 
of duke Elfere, was expelled from England. 

A.D. 987. Lothaire, the king of the Franks, died ; his successor 
was Louis. A fever among the men, and a murradn among the 
pattle, (which was called in English, " Stric,"*) fearfully ravaged 
the whole of England. 

A. D. 988. The Danish pirates plundered Wecedport ; but they 
were attacked by the men of Devonshire, and the English, at the 
last, remained in possession of the field of battle ; but they lost 
their chief leader,* and a very brave soldier named Strenwold, along 
with many others. St. Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbuiy, de- 
parted to the Lord ; he was succeeded by Etelgar, bishop of Selsey, 
who filled it for one year and three months. Louis,* the miserable 
king of the Franks, died, and was succeeded by Hugh, the son of 
Hn^ Caphet. 

A.D. 989. 

A.D. 990. Elfly, the bishop of St. Cuthbert, at Cunakecestre, 
died ; his successor was Aldwin. 

A.D. 991. Edelhre, archbishop of Canterbury, dying, his suc- 
cessor was Siricius. Gipewic was pillaged by the Dsines ; and on 
this occasion Britwold, the valiant duke of the Eastern Angles, was 
slain, along with a countless multitude on both sides. The Danes 
obtained the victory near Meldun. In this year also, by the advice 

' Kaarln^n, or Caerlion, now Cheeter. ' A clerical error for Deorliyrst. 

' " Scitta Tocatur, Latine autem fluxuB internmeorum did potest,'' ia the oor- 
respondiiig statement of Simeon. 

^ Simeon and oar Chronicle have here mistaken the statement of the Peter* 
borough recension of the Saxon Chronicle, from which it i4)pear8 that Qoda was 



* Louis v., sumamed le Faindant, died upon 2l8t May, (Veley, L 237,) and wos 
■oooeeded by Hugh Capet See Bouquet^ x. 2S6, 648. 



104 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.d 991— 

of Sirlcius, archbishop of Canterbury^ and the other nobles, tribute 
was paid to the Danes for the first time, upon condition that tbej 
would observe a strict peace : it amounted to ten thousand pounds. 
St. Oswald, the archbishop, dedicated the monastery of Ramsey, 
which had been erected by himself, and that friend of God, Ethel- 
win, the duke of the East Angles. 

A.D. 992. St. Oswald the archbishop passed to the Lord, on 
the day before the kalends of March [29th Feb.], while (according 
to the usual custom) he was observing the Maunday before the feet 
of the poor. He was buried in the church of St. Mary, which he 
had erected from its foundations. His successor was Adulf, abbot 
of Medeshamstede [Peterborough]. Duke Ethelwin died. 

A. D. 993. The army of the Danes broke into Baembrac [Bam- 
borough], and plundered it ; and afterwards consumed the greater 
part of Lindsey and Northumberland. 

A.D. 994. Pope Benedict died, and was succeeded by John; 
who dying in the same year, another of the same name followed. 
Aniaf, king of the Norwegians, and Suane, king of the Danes, came 
to London with ninety-four vessels ; but they were repelled by the 
citizens, yet not without great loss to their own troops. Hereupon, 
in their fury, they ravaged the whole of England, sparing neither 
sex nor age, and employed fire and sword like madmen. A tribute 
of sixteen thousand pounds was paid to them. After this, king 
Eilred took as his adopted son king Anlaf, he having been confirmed 
by St. Elfeg. and sent him back into his own country, whence he 
was not to return. Richard,* the first duke of the Normans, died, 
and was succeeded by his son Richard. 

A.D. 995. Bishop Aldun translated the body of St. Cuthbeit 
from Chester to Durham. Pope John died, and was succeeded by 
another John. 

A.D. 996. Siricius, archbishop of Canterbury, died; he expelled 
the clerks from out of Kent, and introduced monks. Alfric was 
consecrated as archbishop of Canterbury. 

A.D. 997. The Danish army, which had remained in England, 
destroyed the greater portion of several provinces, slaughtered 
many of the inhabitants, and burnt the monastery of Tavistoke, 
and then returned to the ships, laden with immense booty. They 
passed the winter in the same place. 

A. D. 998. The army of the pagans (which we have already men- 
tioned) having been driven to the mouth of the river Fronte,* 
devastated by far the larger part of Dorsetshire, and paid frequent 
visits to the Isle of Wight. An army was frequently assembled 
to oppose such a calamity, but it miserably and unfortunately 
happened that the enemy were the victors. 

A. D. 999. The army of the pagans entered the mouth of the 
Thames, and passing up the river Medway, proceeded to Rochester, 
and laid siege to it for a few days, and there they carried on a sharp 
war with the men of Kent, but the enemies were victorious. Here- 
upon they ravaged nearly the whole of the western portion of Kent. 

* He died 20th Nov. 996. See UArt de Veref. les Dates, xiii 9, ed- Sra 

* From-muth, Sax. Chm-n. ; Frome, Sim. Durh. 



A.1I.100&] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 105 

• A.D. 1000. The Danish fleet went to Normandy. Eibed, the king 
of the English, depopulated almost the entire land of the Cum- 
brians. Hu^, the king of the Franks, the son of Hugh Capeth^ 
died, and was succeeded by his son Robert. 

A.D. 1001. The army of the pagans, having returned from Nor- 
mandy to England, entered the mouth of the river [Exe],^ and 
unsuccessfully attempted to take the city of Exeter; whereupon, 
being exceedingly incensed, they wandered through Devonshire, 
according to their usual custom burning down towns, ravaging the 
country, and murdering the inhabitants; upon this, the men of 
Devonshire and Somersetshire having united their forces, engaged 
them in battle ; but the English giving way, and taking to flight, 
the enemy were victorious. 

A.D. 1002. Eilred, the king of the English, having taken counsel 
with his people, determined upon paying twenty-four thousand 
pounds, in order that he might have peace. In the same year king 
Eilred married Emma (who in English is called Elfgiva), the 
daughter of Richard, the first duke of the Normans. Adulf, 
archbishop of York, raised from the tomb the bones of his prede- 
cessor, St. Oswald, and placed them honourably in a shrine ; and not 
long afterwards he died, and was succeeded by abbot Wulstan. 
. A.D. 1003. Suane, the king of the Danes, broke into Exeter, 
and plundered it, and destroyed its wall ; and then they attacked 
the province of Wiltshire. Upon this the inhabitants of Wiltshire 
and Hampshire assembled together like men of courage ; and just as 
they were about to engage with the enemy, duke Aliric began to 
make himself sick, and, in the excess of his sluggish cowardice, he 
grew frightened, and so they turned away from the foe without 
tighting. Perceiving this, Suane and his army destroyed Wilton 
and Salisbury by fire, and then returned to his ships. 

A. D. 1004. Suane, the king of the Danes, went by sea to Nor- 
wich, which he pillaged and burnt. Thereupon Ulfketel, the bold 
earl of the East Anglians, who had come up unexpectedly, finding 
that there was no room for his troops to engage those of the enemy, 
made peace with them, after deliberating the matter with his own 
people ; but it was shortly aiter violated by the king of the Danes, 
who burnt Thetford. Ulfketel, when he understood this, collected 
bis army, and boldly attacked the enemy ; many fell on both sides, 
and the Danes escaped with difficulty ; and (as they themselves 
admitted) they had never experienced a sharper attack while in 
England. Pope John died, and was succeeded by Gregory. 

A. D. 1005. A severe famine overrun England, upon which 
Suane, the Danish king, returned to Denmark, but his absence was 
to be of no long duration. Pope Gregory died, and was succeeded 
by John, who, dying in the same year, had for his successor Sil- 
vester, named also Gerbert. It is reported that this Gerbert did 
homage to the devil, in order that by this means he might attain 
unto the honours of this world ; whereupon it was said, "Gerbert 
advances from R. to R., and becomes a successful pope R." The 

> This W0rd, accidentally omitted by the scribe, ia supplied from the Saxon 
Chronicle and Simeon. 



106 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [A.D. 1005— 

meaning of this is. that he was promoted from the archbishopric 
of Rheims to that of the city of Ravenna, which at that time 
stood very high among the sees, and then at last he attained 
the supreme dignity of the Roman chair. It is further reported 
that at a later time the stings of his conscience, and some bodily 
affliction, so goaded him, that he cut off his hands and feet, and 
threw them as an offering to the devil, and so the mutilated trunk 
which remained died, and he was canonized as a saint. 

A.D. 1006. Alfric, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by Elfeg, bishop of Winchester, in whose stead Kenulf was 
appointed bishop. The Danish fleet came to England, and ravaged 
all by fire and sword ; for after having devastated Kent, Sussex, 
the province of Hampshire, and Berkshire, they returned to their 
ships with their booty. 

A.D. 1007. Pope Silvester died, and was succeeded by John. 
Compelled by necessity, king Eilred undertook to pay to the 
Danes an annual tribute of thirty-six thousand pounds, in order 
that the peace might be henceforth observed. In this year also the 
king appointed as duke of the Mercians, Edric, sumamed Streone, 
who (although he was the king's own son-in-law) was a traitor, 
and afterwards betrayed his country. 

A. D. 1008. Pope John died, and was succeeded by another John. 
King Eilred strictly commanded that ships should be built every- 
where through England, that he might defend his own kingdom 
from the inroads of foreigners. 

A. D. 1009. Pope John died, and was succeeded by pope 
Sergius. Earl Turkill, with his fleet, and Heming and Ailaf, with 
a countless army of Danes, landed at the island of Tenetland 
[Thanet] ; and as they were about to storm the city of Canterbury, 
the inhabitants surrendered, as did those of the eastern - parts of 
Kent, and gave them three thousand pounds to have a firm peace. 
Afterwards king Eilred would have had a complete triumph over 
them, had not the perfidious duke Edric prevented it. 

A. D. 1010. The same Danish army devastated nearly the whole 
of the southern part of England as far as Lincolnshire, burning all 
as they advanced ; and (alas I that we must record it) they gained 
a victory over the East Angles ' in battle. 

A. D. 1011. Pope Sergius died, and was succeeded by Benedict 
The Danes miserably destroyed the city of Canterbury with fire 
and sword, and took prisoner St. Elfeg, the archbishop, and 
Godwin, bishop of Rochester, and the abbess Leofruna,' after 
having plundered the cathedral of Christ Church ; they also cap- 
tured Elfrid, the king's provost, and monks, and clerks, and a 
countless multitude of both sexes of the common people. St. Elfeg 
was kept in chains, and exposed to various insults ; and after having 
been severely wounded, he was carried off to the fleet, thrust into 
prison, and there kept in misery for seven months. Monks, men, 
women, and children, were decimated ; that is, nine were put to 

' At Ipswich, upon 18ih May. 
. ' She was abbess of St Mildred's charch at Canterbury. See GervwwL ooL 
1649. 



A.D. lOie.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 107 

deadi, die tenth was saved.* Those who escaped were in all four 
monks and eight hundred men. In the meantime the anger of God 
raged upon this murderous people, for two thousand of them died 
from a certain painful disorder of the bowels ; but neither yet did 
they make satisfaction to God and his high priest. 

A.D. 1012. Edric Streona, that treacherous duke, and all the chief 
men of England, assembled at London, and paid to the Danes the 
tribute of forty-eight thousand pounds/ which had been promised. 
While this was going on, on the holy Saturday before Easter Sunday 
[12th April], the Danes made this proposition to St. Elfeg, that if 
he wished to save his life and recover his liberty, he must pay three 
Aousand pounds. This he refused to do, and they reserved his 
murder for the following Saturday. On its arrival, they, in the 
fury of their spirit, drurdcen with excess of wine, dragged him out 
of his prison to their place of assemblage ; they struck him with 
the bade of their axes, they nearly bury him under the stones, 
bones, and heads of oxen, with which they assail him. At length, 
<me of them named Trum (whom he had confirmed the day before), 
moved with a kind of cruel pity, dashed his hatchet into the arch- 
bishop's head, who forthwith fell asleep in the Lord. On the 
following day his body was conveyed to London, and was honour- 
ably buried in the church of St. Paul, by Elnoth, bishop of Lincoln, 
and Alfun of London, and by the citizens. 

A.D. 1013.' St. Edmund, in his armour, slew in a discussion, at 
Gainesburc, that tyrant and blasphemer, Suane, who saw his assail- 
ant, and cried out as he saw him. Upon his death, the Danish 
fleet appointed [as king] his son Cnut ; but the elders of England 
recalled from Normandy, Elred as their king. 

A.D. 1014. Leving received the archbishopric of Canterbury. 
Suane, king of the Danes, arrived in England with a powerful 
fleet, and, Uke a possessed madman, he ravaged nearly the whole of 
England, and reduced it under his own power, and received its 
hostages. Perceiving this, king Eilred, widi his wife and children, 
went to Normandy to duke Richard. 

A.D. 1015. King Eilred beginning to sicken, his son Edmund 
Ironside had the charge of the kingdom ; but many gave hostages 
to Cnut, who was occupied in a general plundering, and, among 
others, the traitor Edric made submission. 

A.D. 1016. King Eilred, the bishops, abbots, and the more noble 
of the English people, chose Cnut as their king ; but the citizens 
of London, and a portion of the nobility, elevated Edmund Iron- 
side to that dignity. He engaged in battle with Cnut on six 
occasions, and at almost each time he was the conqueror ; and so 
peace being made between him and Cnut, they divided England 
between themselves. But some traitor or other, who had hidden 
himself beneath the privy house to which Edmund had retired for 

* See the aeootmt giTon by Thome, col. 1781. 

* According to the MSS. (7 and D of the Saxon Chronicle ; but E and F aay 
mf^ Hummnd potinda. Here, as elaewhere, our Chronicle foUows Simeon. 

* The order in which the incidents of this and the aucceeding year are mentimed 
is to be transferred. 



108 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1017— 

the necessary purposes of nature, stabbed him near the private 
parts, which were at that time bared, and he died/ 

A.D. 1017. King Cnut, the son of Suane, received the role of 
the whole of £n^nd ; and after Edwin the etheling, the brother 
of king Edmund,, had been put to death, he sent Edmund and 
Aedward, the sons of the same king, to the king of the Suavi, 
that they should be murdered. But he, being unwilling to kill 
these innocent youths, sent them to Salomon, the king of Hungary, 
that they might be brought up by him. In the course of time Ed- 
mund died there, but Edward took to wife Agatha, the daughter of 
the German emperor, Henry, by whom he became the father of 
Margaret, who was afterwaids the queen of the Scots, Christina 
the nun, and Aedgar the etheling. King Cnut married Emma, 
who had formerly been queen, by whom he had Hardecnut, who 
afterwards became king of the Danes and Angles, and a daughter, 
Gunnilda, who afterwards married Henry, die emperor of the 
Remans. 

A.D. 1018. At Christmas king Cnut caused the traitorous duke 
Edric Streona to be put to death in the palace, being apprehensive 
that at some time or other he would be entrapped by hiin; as his 
former masters, Eagelred and Eadmund, had freqiiently been. He 
directed, moreover, that his dead body should be exposed upon the 
city wall, and then cast down without burial. Three other innocent 
persons, the noble sons of dukes, were put to death. Aldun, 
bishop of Durham, died. A great battle was fought at Carham ' 
between the English and the Scots. The Angles and the Danes 
came to an agreement at Oxford, that the law of king Edgar 
should be observed. 

A.D. 1019. Cnut, the king of the English and of the Danes, 
went to Denmark, and remained there during the whole winter. 

A.D. 1020. Upon his return to England, king Cnut held a great 
council at Cirecestre at Easter [17th April]. Edmund became 
bishop of Durham. Living, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
was succeeded by Agelnoth, who was called the Good. 

A. D. 1021. Algar, the bishop of the East Angles, died ; his suc- 
cessor was Aid win. 

A.D. 1022. Archbishop Agelnoth went to Rome, and received 
his pall from pope Benedict. 

A.D. 1023. The body of the blessed Elpheg the martyr was 
translated from London to Canterbury. Wulstan, archbishop of 
York, died, and was succeeded by Alfric, the provost of Win- 
chester. 

A.D. 1024 and 1025. Nothing worthy of remembrance oc- 
curred. Pope Benedict died, and was succeeded by John. 

A.D. 1026. Alfric, archbishop of York, went to Rome, and re- 
ceived the pall from pope John. Richard the Second, the duke of 
the Normans, died, and was succeeded by Richard the Third, who, 
dying in the same year, had for his successor his brother Rodbert. 

* This story does not occur in either the Saxon Chronicle or Simeon, but it is 
to be found in Henry of Huntingilon, Bromton, and Knyghton. 

* Probably at Carham upon the Tweed. 



A. D. 1087.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 109 

A.D. 1027. King Cnut blinded the eyes' of the Norwegians with 
an abundance of gold and silver, while they lightly esteemed their 
own king Olave, on account of his sanctity. 

A.D. 1028. King Cnut went to Norway with fifty large ships, 
and having expelled king Olave thence, he subjugated it for 
himself. 

A.D. 1029. Cnut, the king of the Angles, Danes, and Nor- 
wegians, returned to England. 

A.D. 1030. St. Olave, the king and martyr, the son of Harold, 
king of the Norw^ans, whom king Cnut had expelled, having 
returned into Norway, was unrighteously killed by the Norwegians. 

A.D. 1031. King Cnut having gone [to Rome]* with great 
honour, offered enormous gifts in gold and silver to St. Peter, and 
obtained from pope John the freedom of the school of the Angles. 

A.D. 1032. The church of St. Edmund, king and martyr, was 
dedicated, in which king Cnut (by the general advice of his bishops 
and nobles) had placed monks, after having expelled the secular 
priests. A fire which could scarce be extinguished burnt up 
many places throughout England. Aelfsige, bishop of Winchester, 
died, and was succeeded by Aelfwine, the king's priest. 

A. D. 1033. Leofsi, a man of great religion, the bishop of the 
Wiccians, died ; his successor was Britheg, abbot of Persore. 

A.D. 1034. Malcolm, the king of the Scots, died, and his 
nephew, Dunecan, succeeded him. 

A.D. 1035. Before his death, Cnut, the king of the Angles, 
appointed his son Suane as king over the Norwegians; over the 
Dsmes he placed Hardecnut as king (he was the son of queen 
Emma), and over the English he placed Harold, who was his son 
by Aelgiva of Hampshire ; and having done this, he died, on the 
second of the ides of November [12th Nov.], at Shaftesbury, and 
was buried in the Old Monastery at Winchester, with due honour. 
But not long afterwards the kingdom of England was divided 
between Harold and Hardecnut. Rodbert, duke of the Normans, 
died, and was succeeded by his son, William the Bastard, then 
a youth. 

A. D. 1036. The innocent ethelings, Alwred and Aedward. the 
sons of king Aegelred, came to England from their uncle Richard, 
that they might have some conversation with their mother. Some 
of their companions earl Godwin put in chains, and afterwards 
blinded them ; he tortured some by tearing off the skin from their 
heads, some he maimed by cutting off their hands and feet, he 
sold many as slaves, and six hundred of them he put to several 
kinds of miserable deaths, at Gelgdeford [Guilford]. Having ob- 
tained possession of Alfred by treachery, he commanded his eyes 
to be plucked out at Ely, shortly after which he died. Hereupon 
Edward returned into Normandy with all speed. Rodbert, the 
king of the Franks, the son of Hugh, died a holy death, and was 
succeeded by his son, Henry. 

A.D. 1037. Harold, king of the Mercians and Northumbrians, 
was elected to reign over the whole of England by the nobility 
' Supplied from the Saxon Chronicle and Simeon of Durham. 



110 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGIAND. [▲.DulOST— 

and peopiC, who passed over his brother, Hardecniit* becaose he 
spent too much of his time in Denmark. Emma, who had for- 
merly been queen, being cruelly expelled from England, was 
honourably received by Aldwin, earl of Flanders. 

A.D. 1038. Aegelnoth, [arch]bish(^ of Canterbury, died; on die 
seventh day after whose death, Agelric, bishop of the South Saxons, 
also departed, having prayed of the Lord that he might not long 
survive such a father. Edsi, the king's chaplain, succeeded to th6 
archbishopric of Canterbury, Grimketel to the bbhopric of the 
South Saxons. Britheg, bishop of Worcester, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by Living. 

A.D. 1039. The winter was exceedingly severe. Bridimar, 
bishop of Lichfield, died, and was succeeded by Wulsi. Harde- 
cnut, king of the Danes, went to Flanders, to visit his mother, 
Emma. Dunecan, king of the Scots, died, and Macbet usurped 
his kingdom. 

A.D. 1040. King Harold died at London, and was tmiied at 
Westminster. Hardecnut, having been elevated to the throne, 
bitterly revenged upon his dead brother the murder of his brother 
Alfred. For having disinterred the body of the dead king Harold, 
he commanded that his head should be first thrown into a ditch, 
and afterwards cast into the river Thames. Godwin made his peace 
with the king bv offering many ^fts, and by the oaths which were 
sworn by himself and many of his nobles. 

A.D. 1041. Edward, the son of Agelred, formerly king of the 
English, came to England out of Normandy, in which he had re- 
sided for many years in exile, and was honourably received by his 
brother Hardecnut, in whose court he remained. 

A.D. 1042. While king Hardecnut (at that time joyful, merry, 
and in robust health) was celebrating the nuptial festival upon the 
marriage of Githa, the daughter of Osgot Clappa, a personage of 
creat importance, with Tovi Pruda, a Dane of considerable in- 
fluence, which was held at the place called Lamhythe, and after 
having given the bride to the brid^oom, he was standing in com- 
pany with her and several others, he suddenly fell to the ground as 
they were drinking; and having remained speechless until the 
fourth ' day, he then died, it being the sixth of the ides of June 
[8th June], and was buried at Winchester, near his father. 

A.D. 1043. Eld ward was anointed king at Winchester, on the 
first day of Easter, on the third of the nones of April [3d April], 
by Edsi. archbishop of Canterbury, and Alfric, archbishop of York, 
and nearly all the bishops of England. Edmund, bishop of Dur- 
ham, died, and was succeeded by Aegelric, while Siward directed 
the earldom of Northumberland. 

A.D. 1044. Alwerd, bishop of London, died. 

A.D. 1045. Brithwald, bishop of Wilton, died; his successor was 
Hermann, the king's chaplain. 

A.D. 1046. Magnus, king of the Norwegians, the son of the 
saintly king Olave, having put to flight Swane, the king of the 

* As to theae dat«e» compare the correBponding paasage of Simeon. 



A.D.1051.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. Ill 

Danes, subjugated Denmark. O^t Clappa was eipelled from 
England. 

A.D. 1047. There was a battle at Wallundun. Alwin, bishop of 
Winchester, died, and was succeeded by Stigand. Magnus, king 
of the Norwegians, fought a battle with Swane, and drove him 
ftt)m Denmark, in which he himself reigned, but he died not long 
after. 

A.D. 1048. Suane received Denmark, and Harold Harfahger, 
the son of Siward, king of the Norwegians (by his mother's side the 
brother of St. Olave, being the uncle of king Magnus), returned to 
Norway, and by his messengers made peace with the king of Eng- 
land. There was a great earthquake on the kalends of May [1st 
May], at Worcester, Wic, Derby, and many other places. A great 
mortality of men and cattle followed, and fire in the air, commonly 
called "wood ^ fire," in certain places consumed many towns, and 
much com. 

A.D. 1049. Leo became the one hundred and forty-fifth pope; 
this is the Leo who made a new anthem concerning pope Gregory. 
The emperor Henry collected a countless army against Baldwin, 
earl of Flanders, because he had broken into and bumt down his 
very beautiful palace at Neomagium. Pope Leo, and a large number 
of nobles from difierent countries, took a part in this expedition. 
Swane, king of the Danes, accompanied them with his fleet, and 
he swore fealty to the emperor. At length earl Baldwin was con- 
strained to make peace with the emperor. Pope Leo dedicated 
the church of St. Remigius at Rheims, where also he afterwards 
held a council. 

A.D. 1050. Macbeth, king of the Scots, distributed (or rather 
scattered) money at Rome. Edsi, archbishop of Canterbury, died, 
and was succeeded by Rodbert, bishop of London, a Norman by 
family. Hermann, bishop of Wilton, [and] Aldred, bishop of 
Worcester, went to Rome. 

A.D. 1051. Alfric, named also Putta, archbishop of York, died at 
Sudwelle,and was buried at Medeshamstede, that is, at Peterborough ; 
he was succeeded by Kinsi, the king's chaplain. King Edward 
freed the English from the oppressive tribute of thirty thousand 
pounds, in the thirty-e^hth year after his father, king Aegelred, had 
first commanded it to be paid to the Danes. A dispute arose 
between the king and earl Godwin, because he would not give up 
to death his brother-in-law, the earl of Boulogne, whose retainers 
(in their ill-advised search for lodgings at Dover, where they had 
landed) had killed many of the inhabitants, and who had taken 
refuge in the castle of Dover along with his people. At last the 
king banished earl Grodwine, as he was endeavouring to escape the 
day which had been appointed, and his five sons with him ; the 
earl had wished to discuss the matter with the king, against whom 
he had twice marched with his army, and from whom he had twice 
contrived to escape. King Edward received with great honour 
earl William the Bastard, of Normandy, who came to him into 

* . . . . Tulgo dictuB SilTaticuf .... Orig, 



112 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.]}. 1052— 

England: and after having loaded him with many gifts, lie sent him 
home to his own land. 

A.D. 1052. Emma, called also Elgiva, formerly queen of the 
English, died at Winchester. King Edward restored earl Godwin 
and his sons to their former dignities, and they were mutually re- 
conciled. Almost all the Normans were banished from England. 
Rodbert, archbishop of Canterbury, and his friends, escaped, but 
had great difficulty in getting out of England. 

A.D. 1053. The head of Res, the brother of Griffin, the king of the 
Welsh,* was brought to king Edward at Gloucester, in the vigil of 
the Epiphany [5th Jan.]. Earl Godwin, while he was sitting at 
table near the king, on the second day of Easter- week [12th April], 
was struck dumb, and continuing in this condition, was carried out 
by his sons to the king's chamber, and on the fifth day* afterwards 
he died, and was succeeded in the earldom by his son Harold, and 
Harold's earldom was given to Algar, the son of earl Leofric* 

A.D. 1054. Siward, the duke of the Northumbrians, entered 
Scotland with a great army, by the command of king Edward, and 
having fought a battle with Macbeth, the king of the Scots, he put 
him to flight, and (as the king had directed) elevated Malcolm * to 
the throne. King Edward sent Aldred, bishop of Worcester, to the 
emperor, that he might receive from him his cousin BLdward, who 
had been in exile in Hungary. 

A.D. 1055. Siward, duke of the Northumbrians, died at York; 
his dukedom was given to Tosti, the brother of earl Harold. Not 
long after this, Algar, the son of earl Leofric, though innocent, 
was banished by king Edward, and forthwith went to Ireland, where 
he procured eighteen piratical vessels ; and relying principally upon 
the assistance of Griffin, the king of the Welsh, he at length re- 
covered his earldom, but not before he had burnt the city of Here- 
ford and the monastery of St. Albert the king and martyr, and 
had put to death severd canons and more than four hundred of 
the laity. 

A. D. 1056. The emperor Henry died, and was succeeded by his 
son Henry. Edelstan, bishop of Hereford, of holy memory, died, 
and was succeeded by Levegar, the chaplain of duke Harold ; who, 
along with his clerics and many others, was killed that same year, 
by Griffin, the king of the Welsh. Agelric, bishop of Durham, 
voluntarily relinquished his see, and returned to his monastery of 
Peterborough, where he finished his life. His brother Agelwin 
succeeded him. Malcolm, the son of Duncan, succeeded to the 
kingdom of Scotland by hereditary right [*and reigned thirty-eight 
yeairs. In the year one thousand and sixty-seven he married the 
glorious queen Margaret, who bore him six sons, that is to say, 

^ That is, of the South Welsh. See Simeon. 

' He died upon May 15, according to the Saxon Chronicle. 

' Son of the king of the Cumbrians, according to Simeon. 

* The portion here inclosed within brackets, is printed from a leaf which has 
originally formed no part of the Chronicle, but which is written in a hand very 
little later. The words from " Malcolm ** to "right," form all the ori^^nal text 
of the Chronicle, which immediately passes into the year following. Subsequent 
notes will show that this addition varies in some instances from the text itself. 



AsDilOM;] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 113 

Edward, Edmund, Eddred, Edgar, Alexander, and David, and two 
daoghters, Matilda, the queen of the English, and Mary, countess 
o€ Boulogne. In the thirty-seventh year of his reign he was killed 
in England, on the ides of November [ISth Nov. 1093], and 
his eldest son, Edward, was pierced with a lance at the same 
place, and died on the seventeenth of the kalends of December 
[15th Nov. 1093]. As soon as the blessed queen M[argaret] 
heard this, or radier, (to speak more accurately,) as soon as she 
had foreknown it by the Holy Spirit, she received confession and 
the communion, and having recommended her soul by prayer to 
Grod, she yielded up her pure spirit to heaven, on the sixteenth of 
the kalends of December [16th Nov. 1093]. Thereupon Duve- 
nald, the brother of the king Malcolm, whom we have already 
mentioned, seized upon the dirone, and banished the legitimate 
heirs, namely, Edgar, Alexander, and David. Duncan, however, 
the son of this Malcolm, — although a base son, — ^who had been 
a hostage at the court of the king of England, that is to say, of 
William Rufus, made a descent, under the assistance and advice 
of the same monarch ; and having put his unde to flight, was 
accepted as king, and reigned for one year and a half, but was 
wickedly slain by a certain nobleman (the earl of Momes '), at the 
instigation of the Duvenald who has been already mentioned. 
Hereupon Duvenald once more invaded the kingdom, and reigned 
for three years and a half. In the year one thousand and ninety- 
six from the incarnation of our Lord, Edgar, the son of king 
Malcolm and the glorious queen Margaret, became king of Scot- 
land by hereditary right, Duvenald having been captured and con- 
denmed to perpetual imprisonment. And thus king Edgar reigned 
happily for nine years, and departed in the year one thousand one 
hundred and seven from the incarnation, on the seventh of the 
ides of January [7th Jan.]. His brother Alexander succeeded him 
in the throne, and reigned gloriously for seventeen years, and went 
the way of all flesh on the sixth of the kalends of May [26th 
April], in the year one thousand one hundred and twenty- four from 
our Lord's incarnation. He was succeeded in the throne by his 
younger and happier brother David. This most powerful king 
reigned happily for twenty-nine years, and then resigning his soul 
to God, he departed in the year one thousand one hundred and 
fifty-three from the incarnation of our Lord, namely, on the ninth 
of the kalends of June [24th May]. Earl Henry, the son of this 
king David, had died in the previous year, that is, in the year one 
thousand one hundred and fifty-two from our Lord's incarnation ; 
and in the following year, I mean, in the year a.d. one thousand 
one hundred and fi^-four, Malcolm, the son of the aforesaid earl 
Henry, assumed the government of the realm, being then a boy and 
a viiigm, and by the suggestion of God's grace he continued in bis vir- 
ginity even till his death. He reigned for twelve years and a half, and 
casting aside the body, he was removed into heaven on the fifth of the 
ides of December [8th Dec.]. In the same year, that is, in the year 

' Fordon (book v. chap. 27) teUi xib that Duncan was kUled by a oertain earl 
of Kbtdm, called Malpeter, at Monathethyn, and buried at lona. 

VOL. JV. I 



114 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF KNGL4MD. [a.Ix1066— 

one thousand one hundred and sixty-five from our Lord's incama*- 
tion, his brother William assumed the rule, and in the thirty-third 
year of his reign, and in the year one thousand one hundred and 
ninety-eight from our Lord's incarnation, his son Alexander was 
bom ; and this king died in the forty-ninth year of his reign. After 
the death of the father, this son of his, Alexander, received the 
kingdom honourably ; and in the year one thousand two hundred 
and twenty-one he took to wife Johanna, the dau^ter of kii^ John, 
and the sister of Henry king of En^and. (Then forty-two years 
were completed.) In the year one thousand two hundred and 
thirty-six, she died without children, whereupon the king took to 
wife Mary, the daughter of Ingeram de Couchi, in the year one 
thousand two hundred and thirty-nine, and she bore him a son 
named Alexander, in the year one thousand two hundred and fcHty- 
one. (After his birth twentv-two years were completed.) In the year 
one thousand two hundred and forty-nine, and in the thirty-fifth 
of his reign, the peaceful king Alexander died, on the ei^th of the 
ides of July [8th July], and was succeeded by his son Alexander, 
on the third of the ides of July [13th July]. (After this fourteen 

J ears were completed.) From the foundation of Citeaux^ one 
undred and sixty-seven years have elapsed.] ' 

A.D. 1057. Edward the etheling, the son of king Edward Iron- 
side, (for whom the king had sent to Hungary, widi the intention 
of appointing him king after his own death,) died at London. 
Leofric the earl, of good memory, the son of duke Leofwin, who, 
in conjunction with his wife Godiva, had built the monastery of 
Coventry * out of his own patrimony, died, and was buried in that 
place. He was succeeded by his son Algar. 

A.D. 1058. Earl Algar was exiled for the second time by king 
Edward ; but by the assistance of Griffin, king of the Welsh, and 
of the Danish fleet, he forcibly recovered his earldom. Aldred 
of Worcester passed the sea, and went to Jerusalem through 
Hungary. 

A.D. 1059. Nicolas, bishop of the city of Florence, was chosen 
pope, and Benedict was expelled. 

A.D. 1060. Henry, the king of the Franks, died, and his son 
Pliilip succeeded him. Kinsi, archbishop of York, died, and was 
succeeded by Aldred, bishop of Worcester. The bishopric of Here- 
ford was bestowed upon Walter, the chaplain to queen Edith. 

A.D. 1061. Aldred, archbishop of York, went to Rome with 
earl Tosti, and obtained the pall from pope Nicolas. In the mean- 
time Malcolm, king of the Scots, savagely depopulated Northum- 
berland, the earldom of Tosti, his sworn brodier, and he violated 
the peace of St. Cuthbert in Halieilande. Pope Nicolas died : his 
successor was Alexander, the one hundred and forty-ninth pope. 

A.D. 1062. Wulfstan, the venerable monk of the church of 

' The order of the CiBterciana waB instituted by Bobert, abbot of Moleeme, in 
1008. (Qall. Christ, iv. 980.) Adding the one hundred and Biztj-six years of ib» 
text to that date, we arrive at the year 1164, which brings us to within a year of 
the death of Malcolm IV. It seems not improbable therefore that this present 
•ntry is intended to bo taken in connexion with that event. 

* The interpolated passage here ends. ' Monast. Anglio. ii. 429. 



A.l>.1070.j CHRONICLE OF MELROSE* 115 

Worcester, was made bishop of Worcester, and was consecrated by 
Aldred, archbishop of York, because our lord the pope had for- 
bidden Stigand to exercise his episcopal functions. 

A.D. 1063. Grifin, the king of the North Welsh, unable to resist 
the attacks and the courage of earl Harold and his brother Tosti, went 
on shipboard and took to flight, but escaped with difficulty. Here- 
upon the Welsh were constrained to give hostages, and surrendered 
themselves and their property, and cast off and outlawed their king 
Grifin. 

A.D. 1064. Grifin, the king of the North Welsh, was killed by 
his own people ; and his head, and the prow of his ship, with the 
ornaments, were sent to earl Harold, and he immediately pre- 
sented them to king Edward. But king Edward granted the land 
of the deceased king to his two brothers, Bleothgent and Rith- 
walan, upon condition that they should always be faithful to him ; 
and this they confirmed by an oath, and gave hostages. 

A.D. 1065. Agelwm, bishop of Durham, rabed from their tomb 
the bones of the blessed king and martyr Oswin, and honourably 
placed them in a large shrine at Tynemouth. 

A.D. 1066. Here deceased king Edward of pious memory, the 
honour and glory of the English while he lived, and their ruin 
when he died, after having held his court during Christmas at 
London, as well as he was able, and after he had consecrated, with 
great pomp, the church of St. Peter at Westminster, which he had 
built from its foundations, in the vigil of the Epiphany [5th Jan.]. 
Upon his death he was succeeded by Harold, the son of earl 
Godwin. Harold Harphagher, the king of the Norwegians, the 
brother of St. Olave, king and martyr, and earl Tosti, were killed 
at Strinfordebrige.^ William the bastard subdued and obtained 
possession of England ; and was consecrated king by Aldred, arch- 
bishop of Yoiic, at Westminster. A comet appeared. 

A.D. 1067- King William returned to Normandy, taking with 
him Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury, Edgar the etheling, earls 
Edwin and Morkar and Walteus, and many others of the more 
noble of the English. On his return he imposed on the English 
an insupportable tribute. 

A.D. 1068. There were two popes in Rome, that is to say, the 
bishop of Parma, who was driven out, and the bishop of Lucca, 
who remained pope. 

A.D. 1069. Earl Robert Cumin, along with nearly seven hundred 
men, was killed by the Northumbrians at Durham. Archbishop 
Aldred died. 

A.D. 1070. King Malcolm ravaged England as far as Cliveland ; 
and at that time discovering that Edgar etheling, and his sisters 
Margaret and Christina, were escaping from the king of England, 
he permitted them to enter Scotland, and on his return he took 
them under his protection at Weremunda. Afterwards* he took 
Margaret as his wife. Stigand was deposed from the archbishopric 

' Sach IB the firalty reading of the MS. 

' The mterpoktion nnder Uie year 1056, states that this marriage took pUce in 
1067. 

I 2 



116 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1070— 

by the legates of pope Alexander, as were many other persons. 
The archbishops Thomas and Lamfranc were consecrated ; Lam- 
franc by the suffragan bishops, Thomas by Lamfranc. 

A.D. 1071. Lamfranc and Thomas went to Rome, and received 
their palls from pope Alexander. Walker is appointed bishop of 
the church of Durham. 

A.D. 1072. William entered Scotland, and was met by king 
Malcolm at the place called Abernithi ^ [where he became his 
retainer].' On his return from Scotland king William rashly 
wished to pry into St. Cuthbert's affairs through the means of his 
chaplains, but being terrified, he departed from Durham in great 
haste. 

A. D. 1073. Edgar the etheling came to terms with king William. 
Earl Waldef bitterly revenged fiie death of his grandfather, earl 
Aldred, upon the sons of Carl. 

A.D. 1074. Hildebrand, who was also called Gr^ory, the Roman 
archpope, was elected and consecrated. This pope forbid, under 
ban, that clerks should have wives. Three monks came from 
Evesham; their names were Aldwin, Elfwin, and Reinfrid. By 
these three, three monasteries were provided with monks^ that is 
to say, Durham, York, and Whitby. A great conspiracy was 
formed against king William. 

A.D. 1075. Earl Waldeve was put to death. Philip, king of 
the Franks, compelled king William to flee from the siege of D61. 
Pope Gregory forbid any person to hear the mass performed by 
a priest who had a wife. 

A.D. 1076. Swane, the king of the Danes, died; he was well 
instructed in literature. His son Harold succeeded him. 

A.D. 1077. Robert Curtehose waged war against his father, being 
assisted herein by Philip, king of the Franks, because in his pre- 
sence William had promised to give Normandy to his 8on» and had 
not kept his word. 

A.D. 1078. Nothing worthy of notice. 

A.D. 1079. Malcolm, king of the Scots, ravaged* England as far 
as the Tyne. King William and his son William were wounded by 
Robert the son of the former, and were both put to flight before 
the castle of Girboreth. 

A.D. 1080. Walcher, bishop of Durham, was killed. Odo, bishc^ 
of Bayeux, having been despatched by his brother WiUiam, ravaged 
Northumberland. King William sent his son Robert into Scot- 
land against Malcolm, who proceeded as far as Eaglesuret.^ Havmg 
accomplished nothing of any consequence, he returned and founded 
Newcastle. William obtained the bishopric of Durham. At 
Mayence, the emperor Henry decreed that pope Gr^ory should 

1 The locality of this Abemethi has been a subject of controveny. See Haflea' 
AnTiala, L 15. 

' The wordi here iziBerted between brackets, are no longer visible in the original 
manuscript, but thej are given from Qale's edition. Since the date of its publi- 
cation they have been so carefully erased from the vellum, that there does not 
remain even the vestige of a single letter. 

* This inroad took place between the 15th Aug. and Sth Sept^ 

^ Esglesbirch, Leland, Collect I 856. Chalmers, in his Caledonia, L 419, be- 
lieves It to be the modem Falkirk. 



A.D.1087.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. Il7 

be deposed, and in his place he made Wibert, bishop of Ravenna, 
to be antipope. There was a very high wind on Christmas-day. 

A.D. 1081. The emperor Henry went to Rome against the pope 
in hostile manner ; but though he stormed the city, he did not 
gain an entrance. 

A.D. 1082. After the emperor Henry and Pope Gregory had 
mutually inflicted on the other side numerous murders and plunder- 
ings, man]^ were killed on the night of Palm Sunday [17th April]. 
King William caused his brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux, to be 
placed in confinement. 

A.D. 1083. The emperor Henry stormed and took the city of 
Rome, and thrust in the antipope Wibert ; but Gregory retired to 
Beneventum, and there he continued until the day of his death. 

A.D. 1084. Pope Gregory died. King William received six 
shillings from each hide throughout England. 

A.D. 1085. King William made bishops three of his chaplains ; 
namely, to Maurice he gave the bishopric of London, to WiUiam 
that of Thetford. and that of Chester to Robert. 

A.D. 1086. King William caused the whole of England to be 
described.' The etheling Edgar, along with . . • . ' two hundred 
knights passed the sea, and went to Apulia. His sister Christiana 
entered the monastery of Rumsey, and there assumed the habit of 
a nun. 

A.D. 1087. The reliques of St. Nicolas were translated from 
Mirreia* to Barum. Aldwin, prior of Durham, died. King 
William went with an army into France, and burnt the city called 
Mathuntun [Mantes], and all the churches which it contained, 
along with two recluses, and afterwards returned to Normandy. But 
in the journey thither he was seized with an acute pain in the bowels, 
which daily increased in intensity. As the symptoms grew more 
severe, he became aware that the day of his death was at hand, 
whereupon he gave their liberty to his brother Odo, bishop of 
Bayeuz, and the earls Morkar and Roger, and Siward, sumamed 
Bun, and Wulnot the treasurer of king Harold (whom he had kept 
tinder ward even from his boyhood), and all the persons whom he 
had in confinement, either in England or in Normandy. Then he 
gave the kingdom of England to his son William, and the earldom 
of Normandy to his eldest son Robert, who at that time was an 
exile in France; and thus, after having armed himself with the 
heavenly viaticum, he resigned at once his kingdom and his life, on 
the fifth of the ides of September [9th Sept.], after havii^ reigned 
over the English for twenty years and eleven months. He was 
buried at Caen, in the church of St. Stephen, which he had built 
from the foundation, and had richly endowed. His son William 
hastened o£f to England with all speed, taking with him Morcar 
and Wulnot ; but immediately upon his arrival at Winchester he put 
them into prison, as before they had been. After this, on the sixth 

' Namely, in Domesday Book. 

' An emore ocean in the MS. before these words, but tike text, •■ it now 
0taad% agrees with Simeon of Durham. 

* See Simeon, p. 56S, for the correction of this error. 



118 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF BNOIAND. [a. a 1087— 

of the kalends of October [26th Sept.], being Sunday, he was 
consecrated king at Westminster, by archbishop Lamfranc He 
divided his father's treasures, as he had commanded, among the 
churches throughout England, and among the poor. He delivered 
from their imprisonment Ulf, the son of the late king Harold, 
and Duncan/ the son of king Malcolm ; and after having bestowed 
upon them the arms of knighthood, he permitted them to go 
wherever they pleased. 

A.D. 1088. Nearly all the earls and nobles of England made 
attempts to betray the king, but they were entirely fruitless. 

A.D. 1089. Archbishop Lamfranch died. There occurred a very 
great earthquake throughout the whole of England about the third 
hour of the day. 

A.D. 1090. King William was the means of procuring the de- 
parture of Philip, the king of the Franks, from the siege of his 
castle in Normandy, by privately sending over money thither. 
London was damaged by a very severe wind. 

A.D. 1091. William, and his brother Robert, were reconciled. 
Their brother Henry seized Mount St. Michel, and devastated the 
king's land ; the king and the earl besieged him during the whole' 
of Lent, but without any success. King WilUam encountered the 
army of king Malcolm, (which was at that time ravaging Northum- 
berland,) in the province of Loidis,* and earl Robert reconciled 
them upon this condition, that the king of Scots should be obedient 
to king William, and that the latter should restore to the former 
twelve vills which he had possessed in his father's time, and should 
give him annually twelve marks of gold. There was a great dis- 
sension between pope Urban and the antipope Wibert already 
mentioned. 

A.D. 1092. Bishop Remigius translated the see of Dorchester to 
Lincoln. King William came to Carel,^ and repaired it. 

A.D. 1093. King William gave the archbishopric of Canterbury 
to Anselm, abbot of Bee, and the bishopric of Lincoln to his 
chancellor, Robert Bloeth. The new church of Durham was 
commenced on the third of the ides of August [11th Aug.], the 
first foundation stones being laid by bishop WiUiam, and Malcolm, 
king of the Scots, and the prior Turgot. Malcolm, the king of the 
Scots, was killed, along with his eldest son, Edward,' by the men of 
Northumberland. Margaret, the queen of Scots, died. 

A.D. 1094. The Scots slew king Duncean.* 

A.D. 1096. Wolstan, the venerable bishop of Worcester, died. 
Walter, bishop of Albano, the legate of the church of Rome, 
having been sent by pope Urban, brought the pall to Canterbury. 

^ Called Dunechald by Simeon. See Hailes, L 20, note. 

' Ash-Wednesday feU on 26th Feb., and Easter-day upon 13th April. 

* Now Lothian. 

* In Simeon CairleiL Carel, however, is still the common pronunciation in 
Cumberland, and ought not, perhaps, to be here considered as an error of the 
scribe. 

> Malcolm's eldest son, Edward, was wounded upon the 13th November, and 
died upon the 15th, at Edwardisle, in the forest of Jeddewood. He was buried 
before the altar of the church of the Holy Trinity at Dunfermline. Fordun, 
i. 274. ^ See Chalmers' Caledonia, i. 423, note k. 



A.D.1100.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 119 

Robert de Mobrei, earl of Northumberland, was taken prisoner at 
Tinemouth, and placed in custody at Windeshoure [Windsor]. 
Pope Urban came into France, and preached the expedition to 
Jerusalem. 

A.D. 1096. Tlie Christians began their expedition towards Jem* 
salem. William, bishop of Durham, died. 

A.D. 1097. King^ William sent the etheUng, Edgar, into Scot- 
land, that he might expel Duvenald, and appoint as king Edgar, 
the son of king Malcolm, and this he did. The Christians took 
the city of Nicea on the fourteenth of the kalends of June [19th 
May]. 

A.D. 1098.' The abbey of St. Mary at Cistercium was founded, 
and its first abbot was Robert. Antioch was captured by the 
Christians on the third of the nones of June [3d June], and a 
comet appeared. Walchelin, bishop of Winchester, died, and was 
succeeded by William Giffard. Magnus, the king of the Nor- 
wegians, (the son of king Olave, the son of king Harold Harfauh,) 
added to his realm the islands of the Orkneys and the Menavian 
islands. In the same year, in the kalends of August [1st Aug.], 
died Adimar, bishop of Puy.* Pope Urban held a council at Bari, 
where he was attended by Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury. The 
Christians took two cities in Syria, namely Barra and Marra ; but 
here they experienced such a famine that they devoured some of 
the bodies of the Saracens. 

A.D. 1099. Pope Urban held a great council at Rome in Easter 
week. Jerusalem was taken by the Christians in the ides of July 
[15th July], being the sixth day of the week [Friday], and Godefri, 
of Lorraine, assumed the government. Pope Urban died, and on 
the following day Paschal was consecrated pope. On the third of 
the nones of November [3d Nov.], the sea passed over its usual 
limits, and overwhelmed many towns and men, and oxen and sheep 
innumerable. It is reported that when God was entreated that He 
would send down fire from heaven upon Easter-eve, in order to 
indicate him whom He had chosen as king, the flame settled upon 
the lance of Robert Curthose, but that he rejected the kingdom, 
expecting to become king of England. 

A.D. 1100. Wibert the antipope died. King William was 
slain in the New Forest by Walter Tirell, with an arrow. King 
Henry was consecrated lung by Maurice, bishop of London. 
King Henry recalled archbbhop Anselm, and placed in custody at 
London Ralph, bishop of Durham. Robert earl of Normandy, and 
Robert earl of Flanders, and Eustace earl of Boul(^e, returned 
home. King Henry took to wife queen Matilda, the daughter of 
Malcolm, the king of the Scots, by the holy queen Margaret; she 
was also the sister of kings Eklgar, Alexander, and David ; she was 
consecrated and crowned by archbishop Anselm. Thomas, arch- 
bishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Girard. Bomund, at 

' This does not agree with the interpolation under the year 1056, but is Bop- 
ported by the Saxon Chronicle and Simeon. 

' This passage, as far as the word Robert, is written in red ink in the MS.; the 
abbey of Melrose was of the Cistercian order, (see Spotiswood, p. 415,) hence the 
importaiice attached to the foundation of Citeaux. * GaU. Christ IL 70Sw 



'12D CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1100^ 

this time the lord of Antioch, was captured by the Turks, when 
•before the city of Meletina, and carried off by them ; but the 
Lord delivered that city into the hands of Baldwin, the brother of 
king Godfrey. In this same year died Godfrey, and Baldwin suc- 
ceeded him. 

A.D. 1101. Bishop Ralph escaped out of prison. Louis, king 
-of France, was present at the court of king Henry, at London, 
•upon the Nativity of our Lord [25th Dec.]. Peace was made 
between king Henry and earl Bx)bert, upon condition that the king 
should pay to the earl three thousand marks of silver each year. 
Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, took Csesarea of Palestine. 
• A.D. 1102. King Henry expelled from England Robert de 
Belesme, and his brother Arnold ; and he gave Maria, the sister 
of queen Matilda, in marriage to Eustace, earl of Boulogne. The 
Tyronensian^ order commenced at old Tyron, in the Forest, under 
-abbot Benedict.' 

A.D. 1103. Archbishop Anselm, after having endured many 
injuries from the king, went to Rome. Earl Robert came to 
£ngland, and forgave the king the three thousand marks. 

A.D. 1104. The body of Saint Cuthbert was exhibited, having 
been discovered to be incomipted, and the limbs flexible ; and it 
was translated unto the new church at Durham, being four hundred 
and eighteen years after his death. 

A.D. 1105. King Henry passed over the sea, and was accepted 
by almost all the barons of Normandy, who (blinded by the desire 
of his great wealth) rejected his brother. He burnt Bayeux. 

A.D. 1106. Earl Robert came into England, and requested that 
his brother would restore to him everything of which he had 
deprived him, but he met with a refusieJ. The emperor Henry 
died, and was succeeded by his son Henry. King Henry crossed 
the sea, and having fought a battle at Tenerchebrai, he took pri- 
soners earl Robert, and Robert de Stuteville, and William, earl of 
Moreton. 

A.D. 1107. Edgar,' king of Scots, died upon the sixth of the 
ides of January [8tb Jan.] ; his brother Alexander succeeded him. 
Earl Robert, and earl William de Moreton, were imprisoned in 
England. The king returned into England ; and at a council 
held at London, it was decreed that from this time forward no one 
should be invested in a bishop's see or an abbey, by the king, or by 
any other lay hand, through the delivery of a staff or ring. Arch- 
bishop Anselm consecrat^ five bishops at one time. Philip, king 
of the Franks, died, and was succeeded by his son, Louis the Fat. 
Roger, bishop of Salisbury, was ordained. 

A.D. 1108. King Henry passed a law concerning the hanging 
of thieves and robbers, and decreed that pence should be round. 
Gundulf, bishop of Rochester died ; Ralph succeeded him. 

' The chief abbey in Scotland which was of thifl order, was at Kelso, the near 
neighbour to Melrose ; hence the interest attached to the foundation of the parent 
monastery. See Spotiswood, p. 405. 
• « An error for Bernard. See Gall. Christ viii. 1262. 

■ ' The interpolation says that Edgar died upon the 7th January, but the pi^eent 
text coincides with that uf Simeon. 



A.Ift.1117.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 121 

A.D. 1109. Archbishop Anselm died. Thomas was consecrated 
archbishop of the church of York, by Richard, bishop of London, 
on the fifth of the kalends of July [27th June] ; and on the kalends^ 
of August [Ist Aug.], the same Thomas consecrated, at Yoiic, 
Turgot, prior of Durham, to be bishop of St. Andrews. King 
Henry changed the abbey of £ly into an episcopal see. A comet 
speared. The church of Tyron was founded ; and Ralph, who had 
been sent from Tyron, became the first abbot of Selecherche.' 

A. D. 1110. King Henry gave his daughter in marriage to Henry, 
the king of the Germans. A comet appeared. The river Trent, for 
the space of a mile, was dried up from the morning until three 
o'clock^ The hermit Grodric took possession of a place called 
Jlnchale, near Durham, and continued there until the day of his 
death, a period of ^izty years. 

A. D. 1111. Henry, the German, came to Rome, and seized pope 
Paschal, and placed him in custody ; but shortly afterwards they 
were made fiiends. 

A.D. 1112. King Henry imprisoned earl Robert de Belesme at 
Keresburch. 

A. D. 1113. On his return into England king Henry placed Robert 
de Belesme in close custody at Warham. The Tyronensian monks 
came into this country. 

A. D. 1114. The emperor Henry married Matilda, the daughter of 
the king of England, at Mayence, and she was consecrated empress. 
Thomas, archbishop of York, died. Ralph, bishop of Rochester, 
was made archbishop of Canterbury. Turstin, the king's chaplain, 
was elected to the archbishopric of York. King Henry led his 
<army into Wales. The Thames became so low that boys could 
wade over it. 

A.D. 1115, Ralph received the pall from Anselm, the legate of 
the church of Rome. Turgot, having returned from Scotland to 
Durham, died, and was buried in the place in which he had pre- 
viously so long been a prior. The church of Scone was given to 
the canons. Benedict,' the first abbot of Tyron, died, and was 
succeeded by Ralph, the abbot of Selechirche ; and William, monk 
of Tyron, became abbot of Selechirche. 

A.D. 1116. The earls and barons of all England did homage, 
and swore fealty, at Salbbury, to William, the king's son. Turstin, 
the elect of York, being unwilling to make profession to the arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, crossed the sea with the king. Pope 
Paschal, by his letters, granted permission to king Henry to act as 
liis representative in England. 

A.D. 1117. In Italy ^ere was a. great earthquake, which con- 
tinued for forty days, by which many buildings were overthrown, 
and one town of considerable size was removed from its site. 
The moon appeared to be changed into blood. 

^ Simeon, p. 689, aays that he was consecrated upon Sunday, the third of the 
kalends of August ; an obvious error, as that day fell upon a Friday. The reading 
of the text is probably the correct one. 

' It was subsequently removed from Selkirk to Kelso. See Spotiswood, p. 405. 

' See Fordun, i 286. Benedict in the text, is an error for Bernard. This 
sentence^ as MnHH as that relative to Scone, are added in the MS. by a hand some- 
what later. 



122 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.]X1118-> 

A.D. 1118. Pope Paschal died, and was succeeded by Pope 
Gelasius. The emperor Henry went to Rome, and appointed as 
antipope Burdin, bishop of Braccara, who in the previous year had 
been excommunicated at Beneventum, by pope Gelasius. Matilda, 
queen of England, died. Pope Gelasius came to Graul, and was 
honourably received by the king of the French, and all the popu- 
lation of his realm. Norbert went to Pope Gelasius, and received 
from him the office of preaching. Ralph, abbot of Tyron, died, 
and was succeeded by William,^ abbot of Selechirche, who in turn 
was succeeded by Herbert the monk, who afterwards became the 
first abbot of Kelchou. 

A. D. 1119. Pope Gelasius died at Clugni, and was buried there ; 
and the cardinals and others at Rome elected in his stead Wido, 
archbishop of Vienne, and called him Calixtus. The church was 
smitten with a great scandal. Pope Calixtus fixed the thirteenth of 
the kalends of November [20th Oct.] for a general council to be 
holden at Rheims, in which he excommunicated the emperor 
Henry, and in which also he consecrated ThursUn, archbishop of 
York, although both Henry, king of England, and Ralph, arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, had sent their messengers requesting that he 
would not do so. Pope Calixtus came to Gisors to hold a con- 
ference with the king of England. By the authority of pope 
Calixtus, Norbert founded the order of the Premonstratensians. 

A.D. 1120. William, the king's son, and his base-bom brother, 
and many of the nobility, both men and women, one hundred and 
forty knights, fifty sailors, and three captains of vessels, were all 
drowned at Barbefleot. 

A.D. 1121. King Henry took to wife Aaliz, the daughter of God- 
frey, duke of Louvaine. In the previous year Edmer, a monk of 
Canterbury, had been elected to the bisbopric of St. Andrew's, in 
Scotland, but he laid aside all intention of ruling the diocese, and 
returned to his own place of abode. Pope Calixtus by his letters 
constrained the king of England to receive archbishop Thurstan, 
who was immediately admitted into hb archiepiscopal see, without 
any profession having been demanded. Pope CaUxtus having 
marched from Rome, laid siege to the city of Suthrina, and there 
captured Burdin the antipope, whom he sent into exile. King 
Henry marched into Wales with a great army, but the kii^ and 
the Welsh were soon reconciled. Ralph, bishop of Durham, built 
the castle at Norham. 

A.D. 1122. John, bishop of Glasgow, went to Rome and Jeru- 
salem. Pope Calixtus and the emperor Henry were made friends. 
King Henry came to Carlisle. Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, 
died. Sibilla, queen of the Scots, died on the third of the ides of 
July' [13th July]. 

A.D. 1123. John, bishop of Glasgow, was compelled by pope 
Calixtus to return to his episcopal see. William de Curbuil was 

* See Gall. Christ. yilL 1263, the Benedictine editors of which work were un- 
acquainted with the previous history of this individual. 

' According to Simeon she died upon July 12. Fordun, however, (L 316,) agrees 
with the text, adding tliat the place of her decease was Loch Tay. Lord Hailea 
erroneously places her death in June instead of July. 



A.D.1129.1 CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 123 

elected to the archbishopric of Canterbury. Pope Calixtus held a 
council at Rome on the fifteenth of the kalends of April [20th 
Mar.], at which three hundred bishops were present. Archbishops 
William and Thurstan went to Rome, but returned without having 
accomplished their object. Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, was 
treacherously captured by the pagans. 

A.D. 1124. Alexander, king of the Scots, died' on the seventh 
of the kalends of May [25th April], and was succeeded by his 
brother David. In this same year, four months before his death, 
he had caused Robert, prior of Scone, to be elected bishop of St. 
Andrew's, but his ordination was delayed for a considerable ' time. 
Pope Calixtus died, and was succeeded by Honorius. 

A.D. 1125. The emperor Henry died without issue, his successor 
was Lotharius. John of Crema, the legate, came to England, and 
visited king David at Rokesburc, and on his return he held a 
council at London. The chief moneyers of all England were 
apprehended by the command of king Henry, and having been 
collected at Winchester, they had their right hands cut off, and 
were emasculated, shortly after the Circumcision of our Lord. 
There was a great famine throughout England. The empress, on 
the death of her husband, returned to her father in Normandy. 

A.D. 1126. The king of Jerusalem was permitted freely to re- 
turn to his own people, after having paid his ransom, and given 
hostages to the pagans. Turstin, archbishop of York, and William, 
archbishop of Canterbury, came back from Rome; William of 
Canterbury had been made legate, but Turstin returned as he 
had gone. 

A.D. 1127. David, king of Scotland, and all the archbishops, 
abbots, earls, and barons of all England, swore [fealty] to the 
empress, upon the Circumcision of our Lord [1st Jan.], at London. 
Charles, earl of Flanders, was slain during Lent, while he was in 
prayer, during mass, and he was succeeded in the earldom by 
William Longsword, the son of Robert Curthose. King Henry 
gave his daughter, the empress, to Geofiirey, the earl of Aojou. 

A.D. 1128. The church of the Holy Cross of Edeneburc was 
founded. WiUiam, earl of Flanders, received a mortal wound, and 
was succeeded by Theodore. Ralf, bishop of Durham, died, and 
was succeeded by Geoffrey, the king's chancellor. The church of 
Kelchehou' was founded on the fifth of the nones of May [3d 
May]. 

A.D. 1129. William Giffard, bishop of Winchester, died, and 
the king gave his bishopric to his nephew Henry, the brother of 
earl Teodbald and Stephen, and the bishopric of Chester was 
given to Roger, the nephew of Geoffrey de Clintun, and both of 
them were consecrated at the same time at Canterbury, by the 
archbishop William. 

' The auUioritieB do not agree aa to the date of the death of Alexander I. 
The interpolation in the year 1056, following Simeon, places it upon the 26th April, 
the Saxon Chronicle upon the 23d April ; and acourding to Fordun (i. 291) it 
occurred on the 24 th. 

* He received consecration from Thurston, archbishop of York, in 1128. AngL 
Sacr. ii 237. 

* See Fordun, L 286. 



124 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. 0. 1130— 

A.D. 1130. Anagus,' earl of Murray, was killed by the Scots, 
together with his followers. Pope Honorius died ; his successor 
^as Innocent 

A.D. 1131. King Henry appointed Robert, prior of Lantony, to 
the bishopric of Hereford ; he being a man worthy of a bishopric. 

A.D. 1132. 'On the third of the nones of March [5th March] 
the abbey of St. Mary of Rievalx was completed, it being Satur- 
day, and its first abbot was William. 

A. D. 1 133. There was an eclipse of the sun on the fourth of the 
nones of August [2d. Aug.], on the fourth day of the week [Wed- 
nesday], so that for some time the day was turned into night. 
Geofirey, the king's chancellor, was consecrated bishop of Durham, 
and Aldulf was consecrated bishop of Carlisle by Turstin^ arch- 
bishop of York. Nigell * was consecrated bishop of Ely. 

A.D. 1134. The church of St. James of Rokesburch was dedi- 
cated on the fifteenth of the kalends of May [17th April], being 
the third day in Easter week ; and the church of St. Pkul at 
London was destroyed by fire. Malcolm* was captured, and 
placed in close custody in the tower of Rokesburch. Robert 
Curthose died in prison. 

A.D. 1135. Henry, king of England, died on the fourth of the 
nones of December [2d Dec], and earl Stephen, his nephew, 
assumed the government; afterwards he was crowned, on the 
eleventh of the kalends of January [22d Dec.], and on the day of 
his coronation the pax was forgotten to be offered to the people, 
nor had he peace for nearly all die days of his life. 

A.D. 1136. 'The abbey of St. Mary of Melrose was finished on 
Monday, being the second day of Easter week [23d March], 
and its first abbot was Richard. William, archbishop of Canter- 
bury, died. The church of Glasgow was dedicated. Northum- 
berland and Cumberland were surrendered to David, the king of 
the Scots ; but king David and king Stephen having been recon- 
ciled shortly afterwards, Northumberland was restored to king 
Stephen, while Cumberland remained with king David. The 
translation of St. Guthlac the confessor. 

A.D. 1137. Louis the Fat, the king of France, died; his son 
Louis succeeded him. Turstin, archbishop of York, came to 
Rochesburc, and obtained from king David the promise that he 
would not again devastate Northumberland. Shortly afterwards, 
however, the truce was broken because king Stephen would not 
give Northumberland to Henry, the son of king David. 

A.D. 1138. King David miserably devastated the whole of 
Northumberland. In the beginning of Lent [16th Feb.], king 
Stephen came with a great army to Rokesburc, but shortly after- 

» Fordun, L 295, 448. 

' This passage relative to the building of this celebrated monastery oocuis in 
red letters in the MS. The monks of Melrose were an offishoot from this estab- 
lishment, hence the importance attached to its fomidation. 

^ This entry is in a band considerably later. 

* The individual here mentioned was Malcolm, the son of Macbeth, who pre- 
tended that he was the son of Angus, earl of Moray, already mentioned ; he b 
mentioned by Fordun, i 448. 

* The passage, as far as the word " week," is in capital letters. 



A.I>. 1148.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 125 

wards returned with disgrace. Petrus Leo, the antipope, died. 
The legate Albert/ the bishop of Ostia, came to Carhsle to king 
David. There was a battle at the Standard at Cuttenemor between 
the Scots and the English, on the eleventh of the kalends of 
September [22d Aug.], being the second day of the week [Monday]* 
and the bishop of Salisbury, and the bishop of Lincoln, who was 
cliancellor, were taken prisoners by king Stephen. 

A.D. 1139. Teodbald, abbot of Bee, was consecrated archbishop 
of Canterbury, by Alberic the legate, about the Epiphany of our 
Lord [6th Jan.]. At the instance of the queen peace was made 
between the two kings, and Northumberland was given to Henry, 
the son of king David. Earl Henry married the countess Ada, 
the daughter of William, earl of Warren, [* and the sister of 
William the younger,] and of Robert, earl of Leicester, and of 
Waleran, count of Mellent, whose mother was sister of Ralph, 
eari of Perona, the kinswoman of the king of France. Henry, 
bishop of Winchester, the brother of king Stephen, was made 
legate of England by pope Innocent. The empress lAatilda came 
into England to obtain possession of the land for the benefit of her 
son, whom king David, and many others, considered to be the 
lawful heir. 

A. D. 1 140. King Stephen was taken prisoner at Lincoln in battle 
on the day of the Purification of St. Mary [2d Feb.], and committed 
to prison. At the festival of the Holy Cross in September [14th 
Sept.], a numerous army was levied from England, and the parts 
beyond the sea, and at the instance of his queen, Stephen was 
entirely restored to his liberty, and received the kingdom, and he 
was exchanged for Robert, earl of Gloucester, the son of king 

Henry, who had been taken prisoner there, * and David, 

king of the Scots, and the empress escaped in safety. The abbey 
of St. Mary of Newbottle * was built. Turstin, archbishop of 
York, died ; he had spent the latter part of his days in the monas- 
tery of St. John the Evangelist at Punfreit. 

A.D. 1141. An eclipse of the sun took place on the fourteenth 
of the kalends of April [20th Mar.], and king Malcolm was bom.* 
Alberic de Ver was killed at London, in a tumult of the citizens, 
Geofl^y, bishop of Durham, died. William the treasurer was 
elected archbishop of York. 

A.D. 1142. William Cumin, the chancellor of David, king of the 
Scots, at the instigation of the empress, entered the castle of Dur- 
ham, and held the possessions of St. Cuthbert by force for some 
time ; for, in the blindness of his ambition, he wished to become 
the bishop of that see. The church, being thus grievously oppressed, 
Roger the prior and Ralph the archdeacon abandoned the place, 
and the others were scattered, and there were no divine services in 
the church. In * the same year the abbey of Dundraynan, in Gal- 
loway, was founded. 

^ Bead Alberic. ' These words are written above the line, in a different hand. 

* An erasure here occurs in the MS. 

* Fordun, i. 296, agrees with this date, but it is placed a year later in the MS. 
Hari. 23S8, foL 4(5 b. 

* See Fordun, L 294, note. * In a hand somewhat later. 



126 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. 1143- 

A.D. 1143. William de Sancta Barbara, dean of the chnrch of 
York, was elected bishop of Durham. These two Williams were 
both consecrated by Henry, bishop of Winchester, the legate of the 
Roman church ; the aforesaid treasurer William became archbishop 
of York, dean William became bishop of Durham. Pope Innocent 
died ; his successor was Celestine. The order of the Premonstra- 
tensians came to Neus.^ William,' king of Scotland, was born. 

A.D. 1144. Pope Celestine died, and was succeeded by Lucius. 

A.D. 1145. William, abbot of Rievalx, died; he was succeeded 
by Maurice. Pope Lucius died ; he was succeeded by Eugenius. 
The noble city of Edessa, in Messapotamia of Syria, which is now 
called Roeisa, was taken by treachery on the night of the Nativity 
of our Lord [25th Dec], while the people were enga^d in divine 
service, the archbishop being cruelly beheaded by the Saracens, 
while he was in the diurch, as was also the greater part of the 
Christian population. In this city rests St. Thomas the Apostle, 
having been some time before translated thither from India. 

A.D. 1146. The church of St. Mary of Malros was dedicated 
upon the fifth of the kalends of August [28th July], being Sunday. 
Archbishop William was accused ' in the Roman court by certain 
persons of his own diocese, and grave charges were preferred 
against him. And because the bishop of Durham would not purge 
him by oath, pope Eugenius commanded him to cease [from the 
discharge of his functions]. 

A.D. 1147. Louis, king of France, and many nobles, and a 
countless number of people, set out for Jerusalem, to wage war 
against the Saracens ; but not only did they profit nothing, but in 
many places they sustained considerable loss, and the noble William, 
earl of Warren, was captured by the Turks. The Premonstra* 
tensian order came to Alnwick.^ John, bishop of Glasgow, died,' 
and Hubert, abbot of Kelso, succeeded him, having been conse- 
crated at Auxerre, by pope Eugenius, on St. Bartholomew's day 
[24th Aug.]. Emald became the second abbot of Kelso. Henry 
Murdac, abbot of Fountains, was elected to the archbishopric of 
York, and was consecrated by pope Eugenius at Treves, on the 
second Sunday of the Lord's Advent [7th Dec.]. Alexander, 
bishop of Lincoln, died. In the same year pope Eugenius held a 
great council at Rheims, upon the festival named "Laetare* 
Jerusalem." 

A. D. 1 148. Richard, the first abbot of Melrose, died, and Walteve, 
the brother of Henry earl of Northumberland and of Simon earl 
of Northampton, was made abbot of Melrose. The convent came 
to Alnwick. Robert, the venerable bishop of Hereford, died, and 
was succeeded by Girard. The city of Lisbon was taken by the 

^ Kewhouse in LincolnBlure, Monaat. Anglic, il 589. 

* See Fordun, I 294, note. * See Stubbes, coL 1721. 
^ Monast. Anglic, ii. 591. 

* In 1148, according to John of Hexham. Upon 8d May, 1147, he was at GV>ld- 
ingham in company with king David. See Appendix to Raine's North Durham, 
No. 21. The Chronicle of Holyrood agrees with the text. 

* This was the name of the fourth Smiday in Lent, which in 1147 feU on 
March 80. 



iuOullSI.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 127 

Christians. St. Malachi, an Irish bishop, died at Clairvaulx, and 
was buried there. 

A.D. 1149. Richard, formerly abbot of Melrose, died in the 
convent at Clairvaulx. Henry, the son of the empress . . . . ' the 
daughter of king Henry the first, and the son of the earl of Anjou, 
was honourably received by David the king of the Scots at Uar- 
lisle, and there received arms of knighthood from him. Louis, the 
king of the Franks, returned from Jerusalem. 

A.D. 1150. The abbey of Holmcultre' was built on the kalends 
of January [1st Jan.], and Everard was its first abbot ; as also the 
abbey of Kinlos, in Muref, on the twelfth of the kalends of June 
[21st May], and its first abbot was Asceline. The Premonstra- 
tensian order came to Drueburch, on the festival of St. Martin 
[10th Nov.]. 

A.D. 1151. Pope Eugenius sent four palls into Ireland (where 
hitherto no pall had ever been sent), by his legate, John Papirus. 
Geofirey, earl of Anjou, died, and his son Henry succeeded him. 
The Premonstratensian order came to Kikemunt.' 

A.D. 1 152. Matilda, queen of the English, died. Henry, ^arl of 
Northumberland, the son of David, king of Scots, died, as did also 
his daughter Matilda. Baldewin, the first abbot of Alnwick, died ; 
his successor was Patrick. William, bishop of Durham, died. 
The convent came to Drieburc on the day of St. Lucy [13th Dec], 
and Roger became its first abbot. 

A.D. 1153. David, king of Scots, died on the ninth of the 
kalends of June [24th May], and his grandson, Malcolm, a boy of 
twelve years of age (the son of earl Henry, king David's son), suc- 
ceeded him. Pope Eugenius died ; his successor was Anastasius. 
Henry, archbishop of York, died, likewise Bernard, abbot of Clair- 
vaulx. Peace was restored to England, for king Stephen, and 
Henry, duke of Normandy, were reconciled with each other. By 
the mediation of the venerable men, Theobald, archbishop of Can- 
terbury, and Henry, bishop of Winchester, Stephen adopted Henry 
as his son, appointed that he should be his heir, and his successor 
in the realm. Hugh, the treasurer of York, the king's kinsman, 
was consecrated by pope Anastasius as bishop of Durham, on the 
Sunday before Christmas-day [20th Dec.]. 

A.D. 1 154. Eustace, the king's son, died; and then king Stephen 
himself, and he was succeeded by Henry, duke of Normandy, the 
son of Geoffrey, earl of Anjou, and of the empress ; and he was 
crowned on the Sunday before Easter-day [19th Dec.]. William, 
formerly archbishop of York, whom pope Eugenius had suspended, 
having gone to Rome in the previous year, obtained the favour of 
pope Anastasius, and in the course of the present year was honour- 
ably restored to his see. Not long after this, however, a conspiracy 
was formed against him (report says, by his own clergy), and, after 

' An enanre in the MS. 

' Holmcultram and Kinlos were at their foundation supplied with monks from 
If elrose, benoe the importance attached to the entry, which is written in large red 
letters. The 1st Jan. and 21st May both fell upon a Sunday. 

* Apparently Dryburgh, near Melrose, on the river Tweed. See 'Spotiswood, 
p. 809. 



128 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A^ButlM.— 

having partaken of the eucharist/ he died, while engaged in wash- 
ing himself ; ^ the wine having been poisoned. Roger, archdeacon 
of Canterbury, succeeded him. 

A.D. 1155. Pope Anastasius died ; his successor was Adrian. 

A.D. 1156. A convent of nuns came to Eccles * for the second 
time. Dovenald, the son of Malcol[m], was captured at Witem, 
and imprisoned in the tower at Rokesburc/ along with his father. 

A.D. 1157. Malcolm, king of the Scots, went to Henry, king of 
England, at Chester, and there became his vassal, upon the same 
terms as his grandfather had been the vassal of the old king Henry, 
preserving in every respect his dignities. King Henry marched his 
army for the first time into Wales, and took Rueland. . 

A.D. 1158. The castle of Were was fortified for the seccmd time 
at the command of the king of England. 

' There was a meeting at Carlel, between Henry, king of England, 
and Malcolm, king of the Scots ; but they parted from each other 
not upon the best of terms, and therefore the king of Scots was 
not made a knight at that time. 

A.D. 1159. Robert, bishop of St. Andrew's, died. Waldfive of 
pious memory, the second abbot of Malros, died on the third of the 
nones of August [dd Aug.] ; he was the uncle of king M[alcolm]. 
His successor was William, a monk of the same church, on the 
fifth of the kalends of December, and he received the benediction 
in our church on the vigil of St. Andrew the Apostle [29th Nov.] 
(which fell on a Sunday), from Herbert, bishop of Glasgow. . Pope 
Adrian died on the kslends of September [1st Sept.], and he was 
succeeded by Alexander, who was canonically elected and con- 
secrated. The emperor Frederic, however, set up for. himself aa 
idol — I mean, the antipope Octavian ; and he and his people, by 
an accursed council and a bloody conventicle holden at Pavia, 
decreed that this person should be worshipped. And thus a schism 
arose in the church, and continued for no short time. Henry, 
king of England, went to Tblouse with his army, and many died in 
the expeditTon. William, earl of Bolougne, the son of king Stephen^ 
and Hamo, the son of the earl of Gloucester, deceased. On his 
return from this army, Malcolm, the king of the Scots, was made 
a knight, at Tours, by Henry, king of England. William, bishop of 
Moray, and Nicolas, at that time the chamberlain of the king of 
the Scots, paying a visit to the Roman court, on the service of king 
Malcolm, of their own free will went to see pope Alexander, at 
Agnania, which is beyond Rome. They were received by him with 
due honour. William returned in the year following, having been 
appointed the legate for the kingdom of Scotland. William, bishop 
of St. Andrew's, died. 

A.D. 1160. William, king of Scotland, returned from the expe-> 
dition to Tolouse ; and having reached the town called Perth, he 

> See Stubbes, coL 1722. 

* The washing of the hands during the celebration of the maM, is iUastrated 
hj Durante De Ritibus Ecclesis Catholicae, lib. iL cap. xxyiiL 

* See Spotiswood, p. 461. 

* Fordun, L 448| and also the Chronicle of Holyrood. 



A.n, IIM.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 129 

was besieged therein by earl Fereteatht^ and five other earls« who 
were incensed against him because he had gone to Toulouse, and 
who wished, therefore, to take him prisoner. This presumptuous 
design of theirs was unsuccessful. Upon three several occasions, 
king Malcolm went with a large army into Galloway, and at length 
he subdued them. Emald, abbot of Kelso, was elected to the 
episcopal see of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, upon the day of St. Brice, 
the bishop [13th Nov.], (which this year fell upon a Sunday) ; and 
on the Sunday following, that is to say, on the day of St. Edmund 
[20th Nov.], he was consecrated at St. Andrew's, in Scotland, by 
William, bishop of Moray, the legate of the apostolic see, in the 
presence of king Malcolm, and the bishops and abbots and earls of 
the realm. He was succeeded by John, the chanter of the same 
church, who was elected on the vigil of St. Andrew [29th Nov.] ; 
and on the day of the Epiphany [6th Jan.], he received the bene- 
diction from Herbert, bishop of Glasgow. This year king Malcolm 
gave his sister Margaret to Conan, duke of Brittany, in marriage. 
Robert, prior of St. Andrew's, died ; his successor was Walter, Uie 
chanter of the same church. 

A.D. 1161. Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, died; he was 
the legate of the church of Rome. The venerable Thomas, the 
chancdlor of the king of England and archdeacon of the church of 
Canterbury, that most admirable defender of the holy church of 
God, then succeeded. He was a thorough despiser of the world, 
though taken from the palace, and wearing the secular habit. 
Bishop Emald was made legate of the kingdom of Scotland, by 
pope Alexander. While exercising his legative functions, he con- 
secrated Gregory bishop of Rosmark ; but afterwards, at the com- 
mand of pope Alexander, he ceased from the discharge of his office. 
WiUiam, bishop of Murray, died. 

A.D. 1162. Hugh de Moreville, the founder of the church of 
Driebuig, died. Malcolm, king of Scotland, gave his second sister 
Ada to Florence, earl of Hoilande. Henry, king of England, 
received with distinction pope Alexander, when on his journey to 
France. Emaid, bishop of St. Andrew's, died. The churdi of 
St. Andrew's, in Scotland, was founded. 

A. D. 1 163. Henry, king of England, returned home from the 
parts beyond the sea. Richard, the chaplain of king Malcolm, was 
elected to the bishopric of St. Andrew's ; and, by God's mercy, 
king Malcolm recovered at Danecastre [Doncaster] ' from a severe 
illness, and a firm peace was established between him and Henry, 
king of England. Pope Alexander the third held a general council 
at die city of Tours, in which he excommunicated the antipope 
Octovian and the other schismatics, with the sole exception of the 
emperor. 

A.D. 1164. The abbey of Cupre was built by king Malcolm. 
William, the brother of king Henry, died. The antipope Octovian 
died, and the schismatical emperor already mentioned appointed 

1 This waa Ferqnhard, leoond earl of Strathem. Forduo, i 450. 
' Fordon, i. 453. HoTod. 2S2. He was probablv on his journey to or tnm 
Woodatock, where he did homage to Henry the second on Ist July. S«eDiceto^ 58(L 
VOL. IV. K 



130 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.ix 1164 — 

a second antipope, Wido of Crema. Sumerled, the under-king 
of Eregeithel [Argyll], who had been in a state of wicked rebellion 
for twelve years against his natural lord, Malcolm, king of Scot- 
land, landed at Renfriu, with a large army which he had collected 
together in Ireland and various other places ; but at length God's 
vengeance overtook him, and he and his son,^ and a countless 
number of his followers, were there slain by a few of the people of 
that district. Herbert, bishop of Glasgow, died, and was succeeded 
by Engelram, the king's chancellor, who was consecrated by pope 
Alexander at the city of Sens, on the day of the apostles St. Simon 
and St. Jude [28th Oct.], although the messengers of the arch- 
bishop of York ' strongly opposed this. The venerable Thomas, 
archbishop of Canterbury, retired from England, in consequence of 
the intolerable injuries which had been inflicted upon the holy 
church . . . . ' by the king of England. The archbishop of York 
came to Norham, to exercise his Tegative office through Scotland ; 
but the messengers of the king of Scotland resisted him, and 
opposed his legative office, whereupon he returned in confusion. 

A.D. 1165. Richard, the chaplain of king Malcolm, was con- 
secrated at St. Andrew's, in Scotland, by tibe .... * bishops of 
that realm, upon Palm Sunday, which this year fell upon the fifth 
of the kalends of April [28th March]. And Henry, king of En^and, 
passed the sea; and, after his return, he marched into Wales with a 
great army, where he slew many people, and executed justice upon 
the two sons of king Ris, and upon the sons and daughters of his 
nobles : he put out the eyes of the boys, and cut off the ears and 
noses of the girls. In the month of August, two comets appeared 
before sunrise, one in the south and the other in the nortii. A 
comet is a star which is not always visible, but which appears most 
frequently upon the death of a king, or on the destruction of 
a kingdom. When it appears with a crown of shining rays, it 
portends the decease of a king; but if it has streaming hair, 
and throws it off, as it were, Uien it betokens the ruin of the 
country. There was a great tempest in the province of York during 
that same month. Many people saw the old enemy taking the lead 
in that tempest ; he was in the form of a black horse of lai^ size, 
and always kept hurrying towards the sea, while he was foUowed by 
thunder and lightning, and fearful noises and a destructive hail. The 
footprints of tliis accursed horse were of a very enormous size, espe- 
cially on the hill near the town of Scardeburch, from which he gave 
a leap into the sea ; and here, for a whole year afterwards, they 
were plainly visible, the impression of each foot being deeply graven 
in the earth. The same tempest destroyed a mill on uie river 
Severn, with its inhabitants, with the exception of a single monk, 
who, by God's mercy, was saved from the fire ; but as a token that 
God makes a difference among men, to give hope to unwavering 
consolation, and chiefly for ^e praise of the Omnipotent, this 
monk and his property escaped uninjured. 

' Foidun says that his son was called Gilleoolan, i 452. 

' Id. i 461. Hoved. 293. ' An enurore in the MS. 

* Another erasure occurs here. 



A.SL1199.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 131 

Pope Alexander returned from France to Rome, where he was 
received with great honour, and accepted by nearly the whole of 
Italy and Tuscany, and by the Milanese, although those who were 
in acfaism rejected his authority. Malcolm, the king of Scotland, 
of pious memory, died at Gedeworth, on the fifth of the ides of 
December [9th Dec], which fell upon the fifth day of the week ; 
he was in the twenty-fifth year of his age, and in the twelfth^ of his 
reigiL His corpse was carried to Dunfermelin by all the people, 
wim much honour, and there it was buried. Wilham, his brother, 
succeeded him; and on the vigil of the Lord's Nativity [24th 
Dec.] he was elevated to the throne, according to the kingly 
macnner. The Premonstratensian order came to Blanchelande.' 
John, abbot of Kelso, came from Rome, a mitred abbot. 

A.D. 1166. Henry, king of England, passed the sea, and was 
followed by William, king of Scotland, the business of his lord so 
requiring it ; but he returned ere long, after some military exploits 
had been attempted. Earl Gospatric ' died ; his son Waldeve suc- 
ceeded him. 

A. D. 1 167. Aldred of pious memory, the third abbot of Rievaulx, 
died ; he was succeeded by Silvanus, abbot of Dundrainan. Robert 
de Melun, the venerable bishop of Hereford, died ; he was suc- 
ceeded by Robert de Foliot. Patric, the second abbot of Alnewic, 
died ; Richard, the prior of the same place, succeeded him. The 
empress Matilda, the mother of Henry the Second, the king of 
England, died. The emperor Henry came in hostile manner to 
Rome, to assist the party of Wido of Crema, the second antipope; 
and the one schismatic helping the other, Wido was intruded into 
the church of St. Peter by violence and force of arms. But as he 
and his army were returning home, a deadly pestilence broke out 
among his people, and killed some of the principal of them. The 
elect of Cologne, who was the head of the whole schism, died 
while among the Alps ; and in order that his bones might be sepa- 
rated from the flesh, and that he might be removed to Cologne, 
the whole body was boiled in water. For those leading men of his 
who had been elected, but were not bishops, desired to have the 
reliques of one whom they considered to be honourable, but whom 
we hcdd to be a dishonoured person and an impostor. 

A.D. 1168. Gilbert* of pious memory, the abbot of Citeaux, 
died, and he was succeeded by Alexander, its tenth abbot. The 
schismatical Wido, the second antipope, died; then there was 
raised up a third antipope, whose name is unknown, and which 
may continue in obscurity. Robert, the good earl of Leicester, 
died ; he was caUed the Chief Justice. 

A.D. 1169. Gregory, bishop of Dunkeld, died, and was succeeded 
by Richard, the king's chaplain. By the king's orders, a vile and 

' This date has originally been jdiL, but the last numeral has been erased ; the 
words " et dimidio " (and a half) have then been added, and have aftenwruds 
been struck through. According to Fordun, L 457, he reigned twelve years, 
three months, and seven days. 

> See Monast. Anglic, il 1015. 

* See Douglas's Scottish Peerage, I 167; Foxxlun, i 459; Hoved. 239. 

• OaU. Christ iy. 987. 

K 2 



132 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1169— 

abominable conspiracy was formed throughout almost the whole of 
England against our lord the pope Alexander, and the venerable 
archbishop Thomas, at this time an exile in France. Hunbaud, the 
prior of Weneloc, brought the convent to Passelet [Paisley],* which 
is near Renfriu. 

A.D. 1170. Henry, king of England, returned home from Nor- 
mandy, and on the passage many perished by shipwredc. William, 
the third abbot of Maylrose, humbly laid down his pastoral office 
on the tenth of the kalends of May [22d April] ; and, on the same 
day, Josceline the prior succeeded him. William, king of the 
Scots, went to Wmdlesoure [Windsor], to visit king Henry. His 
brother David was made a knight, on the octaves of Pentecost [31st 
May], by the king of England. Henry, king of England, caused 
his youthful son Henry to be crowned; and on Sunday, the eleventh 
of the kalends of June [22d May], he was ccmsecrated king by 
Roger, the usurping archbishop of York, who, contrary to the 
canons, had taken upon himself to exercise, in another province, 
functions and rights which did not belong to him ; and this he did 
out of the king's tyranny as well as his own, although the venerable 
Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, was still alive, and in banish- 
ment in France. On the festival of the apostles St. Peter and 
St. Paul [29th June], a great and terrible earthquake suddenly 
occurred in the east, beyond the Greek sea, where it overwhelmed 
many cities and towns, along with their mhabitants, such as Tri- 

[>olis, Gibellum, Laodicea, Ajatioch, and numerous others; but the 
and of the infidels sufiered still more severely, and a countless 
number of them perished by the same earthquake. Ridiard, the 
chaplain of king William, was consecrated bishop of Dunkeld, on 
the vigil of St. Laurence [9th Aug.], by Richard, bishop of St. An- 
drew's, in the cathedral church of St. Andrew's. Godric, the 
venerable hermit of Finchale, near Durham, died. Richard, earl 
of Pembrok, the son of Gilbert earl Stranbohe, the son of Isabel, 
the aunt of Malcolm and William, kings of Scotland, and of David, 
the earl of good hope, with a great retinue of knights and sturdy 
men, passed over into Ireland ; and, having been supported by the 
assistance of a certain petty king of that land (whose dau^ter 
he had married], he boldly stormed certain towns, along with the 
principal city of that country, that is to say, Dublin ; and at length 
obtained possession of it. Oswin, the sub-king of Wales, died. 
Thomas, the venerable archbishop of Canterbury, having now been 
appointed legate by pope Alexander, returned into England, by the 
king's permission, about the feast of St. Andrew's [30th Nov.], 
Pope Alexander suspended Roger, archbishop of York, from every 
episcopal function ; as also Hugh, bishop of Durham, and Gilbert, 
bishop of London ; and, indeed, all those who had been present at 
the uncanonical coronation of Henry, the king's son. 

A.D. 1171. Alas! what accursed wickedness, what a detestable 
crime, what a horrible deed, what an unheard-of guilt ! Thomas, 
archbishop of Canterbury, of blessed memory, the l^te of the 
apostolic see, the primate of all England, had now been stniggling 

' See Spotiflwood, p. 412. 



A.11.1171.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 133 

for six years and longer for Justice, and had been exiled into France 
by reason of the violence of the elder Henry, king of England, and 
had there endured innumerable injuries for the sake of Christ's 
church ; for all who were connected with him, according to the 
flesh, young and old, even to the infant who hung at the breast, 
had been expelled from England by the most unjust command of 
the king. At length, however, peace was fully confirmed between 
the king and his archbishop, as it was thought, chiefly through the 
instrumentality of our lord the pope and die court of Rome, and 
of the French church, and chiefly of the religious king of France, 
Louis : and so the archbishop was admitted by the king to the kiss 
of peace, and permitted to depart into England with the king's 
letters. But a few days after he had been restored to his see, the 
king's anger was so hot against him — chiefly because, as we have 
said, he had been entrusted by our lord the pope with the office of 
l^ate, and because he had suspended the bishops — as to resemble, 
and at the same time to surpass, that fiiry exhibited by the one 
Herod against our Lord, and the other against John the Baptist, 
that he was murdered against all right and justice, by the intimate 
friends of the king, those most wicked barons and accursed knights. 
This occurred in the cathedral church of the whole of England, in 
the church of the Holy Trinity, before the holy altar of the blessed 
Benedict, and in the presence of countless martyrs, confessors, and 
virgins, whose reliques surrounded him everywhere in that fabric ; 
and so he passed to his reward on the fifth day after the Nativity of 
our Lord [29th Dec], just as St. Thomas the apostle has his fes- 
tival five days before that same Nativity, on the day following the 
Nativity of the Innocents, with whom he is to be associated in the 
other Ufe. Imitating our Lord, he prayed for his murderers, while 
the right hand of one of his clergy, who bore his cross, was nearly 
cut off. And then, alas! was this true martyr of Christ put to 
death, the punishment due to the shedding of whose blood was 
inflicted upon all those who had any share in the murder — pri- 
marily upon those who were the active perpetrators, and in a 
secondary d^ee upon all who assisted in it, or consented to it, or 
had any knowledge of it before its commission ; and all these dis- 
covered how that the sword of the Lord is a speedy avenger, and 
the Highest will repay it. 

Nicolas, the chancellor of the king of the Scots, died. Conan, 
duke of Brittany and earl of Richmond, died. Ferchet, earl of 
Strathem, died. The sea seemed, to many people in England. 
to be a fire. Ralph, monk of Meylros, was chosen father of 
Cupre, and received the benediction as abbot from Richard, 
bishop of St. Andrew's, on the Purification of the blessed Virgin 

[2d Feb.], at Coldingham. The tomb of an holy father, the 
ord Wallef, the second abbot of Melros, was opened by Ingram, 
bishop of Glasgow, of good memory, and by four abbots, who had 
been invited for the purpose, and the body was discovered to be 
entire, and the vestments unchanged. This occurred on the 
eleventh of the kalends of June [22d May], in the twelfth year 
after hb decease. And after the holy solemnities of masses, tha 



134 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [iuD.1171^ 

same bishops and abbots whom we have mentioned, along with all 
the inmates of the monastery, placed a new stone of polished 
marble upon the remains of that most holy body. And there was 
much rejoicing, and all who were present raised their voices and 
said, " Truly this was a man of Grod." Pontius,' abbot of Clair- 
vaulx, of holy memory, was elected to the bishopric of Clairmont; 
and so this pastor was translated and elevated from the valley to 
the hill, from Clairvaulx to Clairmont, from one degree of bright- 
ness to another, as by the Spirit of the Lord [2 Cor. iii. 18]. 

Simon de Tonei, monk of Melrose,' formerly abbot of Kogeshall, 
was elected to the see of Murray, and conducted thither. Henry, 
king of England, with a powerful army and in great force, went to 
Ireland, passing over by sea. Aedward, bishop of Aberdeen, died. 

A.D. 1 172. There was an exceedingly strong wind on the day of 
the Holy Innocents [28th Dec.], 'fte churdb of Canterbury was 
reconciled and restored to peace by two cardinals, who had been 
sent into France. Simon, bishop elect of Moray, received the privi- 
lege of consecration' at St. Andrew's, in Scotland, upon the tenth of 
the kalends of February [23d Jan.]. Matthew, archdeacon of St. 
Andrew's, was elected to the bishopric of Aberdeen, and afterwards 
was consecrated on the fourth of the nones of April [2d April], on 
the day* of our Lord's passion. Henry, king of England* returned 
from Ireland after Easter. 

A.D. 1173. Pope Alexander the third canonized' the blessed 
Thomas, the archbishop of Canterbury, on Ash- Wednesday [21st 
Feb.], at Anagnia, and commanded that his memorial should be 
inscribed in the catalogue of the saints ; and he further enjoined, 
by his apostolic authority, that the day of his passion should be 
held and celebrated as a festival. He himself devoutly (as was his 
custom) sang the first mass to the memory of the martyr, in the 
presence of an innumerable body of clergy and laity; and he made 
solemn mention of him in the collect, and in the secret, and in the 
post-communion. And he who saw and heard beareth witness. 

A dispute and a war, which may almost be styled inexorable, 
arose between the belly and the bowels, between the parent and the 
child, between Henry the elder and Henry the younger, king of 
England ; and so that the latter (who, though he was a youth, was 
yet a knight and a king) secretly departed by night, with all speed, 
to the king of France, his father-in-law, induced to take this step 
in consequence of some annoyances and injuries which he had ex- 
perienced at the hands of his father. It is said that he did this by 
the advice of his mother, but of this we are in ignorance; let her 
see to it, and let Him judge. The father had intended to capture 
his son, and to put him in a sure and close place of custody; so 

» GalL Chriat. iv. 801. 

' According to the Chronicle of Coggeshall in the Gottonian MS. Yosp. D. x. 
foL 47, Simon de Tony returned to Melrose in 1168. 

' The Cottonian MS. Yesp. D.x. foL 48, contams the following entiy: — ** On the 
tenth of the kalends of February occurred the ordination (oonfleoratian) of tho 
lord Simon, the bishop of Moray; he had formerly been abbot of CoggeahaU." 

* That is, on the fifth Sunday in Lent, or Passion Sunday. 

* The correct date is 2d April See the abstract of the bull in JafiE$, p. 754. 



A.n, 1174.} CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 135 

Ht least common report goes. Many noble and powerful indi- 
viduals, and men well skilled in the art of war, accompanied him, 
as well from England as from Normandy; and strengthened by 
their counsel and assistance, the son (we should rather have said 
the sons) rose against the father; and thus the provinces, as well on 
this side the sea as those beyond it« being stirred up by wars and 
rumours of wars, rushed to arms, ^d prepared for die battle. 

Hereupon William, king of the Scots, hoping that he would find 
a remedy for old injuries in this new strife, waged a fierce war 
against his kinsman and lord, Henry, king of England, following 
herein evil counsels. At the head of a very large army, he laid 
siege to the castle which is called Were; and having lingered there 
for some little time, he made no progress. The king proceeded 
onwards, and the Scots cruelly destroyed the greater part of North- 
umberland with fire, and with great ferocity put the inhabitants 
to the sword. They fell back upon Carlisle, and assaulted the city 
with all their forces; but some people having pretended that the 
English army was advancing upon them, they speedily took to flight. 

Great and unprecedent^ miracles were performed throughout 
all England, by tiie blessed martyr, Thomas, the archbishop. There 
was a fearful thunderstorm on the seventeenth of the kalends of 
September [16th Aug.]. A dangerous and unusual cough seized 
nearly every one far and near ; in or after which disease many 
died. Robert, earl of Leicester, and his wife, were taken prisoners 
in the territory of St. Edmund's, and placed in the strictest custody. 
Moreover, a countless multitude of the Flemings left their own 
country to take possession of England ; but they finished their ex- 
pedition as well as their life in the same spot as the earl. Blessed 
be God, who cuts ofi" the wicked, that they may not destroy the 
just! 

A.D. 1174. Ingeram, of good memory, the bishop of Glasgow, 
died, upon the day of the Purification of the blessed Mary [2d 
Feb.]. Upon the kalends of March [1st March], Ascelin, the first 
abbot of Kinlos, in Moray, died ; and in his place, Reiner, a monk 
of Melrose, succeeded. Osbert, the first abbot of Jeddeworth, 
died ; his successor was Richard, the cellerar of the same place. 
Joscelin, the abbot of the monastery of Melrose, the fourth in 
succession, was chosen bishop of the church of Glasgow, by the 
clergy, at the request of the people, and by the assent of the king, 
upon the tenth of the kalends of June [23d May], at Perth, in 
Scotland. He was a meek man, and well mannered ; of a gentle 
and moderate disposition. William, king of Scotland, sent his 
army to Alnwick the second time, or rather he conducted it 
thither ; he put to flight many, and many he killed. Amidst these 
tempests, Henry the elder, the king of England, came to England. 
Stung to the heart with repentance, and of *a conti'ite spirit, he walked 
barefoot, clothed in woollen garments ; and immediately upon his 
arrival in his own realm, he visited the sepulchre of the blessed 
Thomas of Canterbury, attended by a numerous body of bishops 
and nobles, and there he did penance for his sins, and entreated for 
reconciliation. On the morrow, William, king of the Scots, was 



136 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1174— 

taken prisoner at Alnwick, and conducted (sorrowing as he went) 
to Richmond, where he was kept in custody for a time, but with 
all due respect. As soon as the intelligence reached the king of 
£ngland, by his orders he was sent across into Normandy, and this 
welcome treasure was laid up in safety in the tower of Falaise. 
When his younger brother, earl David, was aware of this, hb hastily 
abandoned Leicester, which he was besieging, and he and his 
followers took themselves back to Scotland as they best might. The 
blessed Bernard, the first abbot of Clairvaux, was solemnly canon- 
ized by our lord the pope, Alexander the third, in the city of 
Rome; and it was appointed by the apostolic authority that a me- 
morial of him should be inscribed in the catalogue [of the saints]. 

A.D. 1175. William, king of Scotland, and his people, returned 
home to their own country. JoceUne, the bishop elect of the church 
of Glasgow, was consecrated bishop by Eskil, archbishop of Lund, 
the legate of the apostolic see, and the primate of all Denmark, 
at Clairvaux, at the command of pope Alexander the third. Our 
monk Laurence, who had formerly been an abbot in Orkney, was 
elected on the second of the ides of May [14th May]; and on the 
day following the Ascension of our Lord [21st May], he was 
honourably blessed as abbot in our church, by JoceUne, bishop of 
Glasgow. The church of Clairvaux was dedicated; and the reliques 
of St. Bernard, the first abbot of Clairvaux, were translated with 
honour, and placed within the church with the reverence due to 
such a holy man. The earls and barons, and all the greater and 
more powerful personages through the realm of Scotland, did their 
allegiance to Henry, king of England, in the presence of William, 
their king, knd gave him hostages ; and the bishops of the same 
kingdom swore fealty to him upon the Word of Truth. This was 
done at York. 

A. D. 1 176. Wivian, presbyter cardinal by the title of St. Stephen 
in the Celian mount, the legate of the apostolic see, came into Scot- 
land, treading down and crushing under foot everything in his 
road ; being sdways ready to receive, and no sluggard in plundering. 
Earl Richard, sumamed Strangboge, died in Ireland. A dispute 
arose between Walter, abbot of Tirone, and John, abbot of Kelso, 
concerning subjection, whether of them should be the greater. 

A.D. 1177. Frederic, the emperor of the Romans, returned to the 
worship of a Christian, and to the unity of holy mother church; and 
coming to Venice, he both promised and performed due reverence 
to pope Alexander the third, in the church of St. Mark ; and in 
token of their good faith, and of the firmness of the treaty into 
which they had entered, they mutually kissed each other. Cardinal 
Vivian, on his return from Ireland, summoned the prelates of the 
realm of Scotland to meet him at Edinburgh, and there he sat in 
the council. Roger, the first abbot of Driburgh, resigned the care 
of the sheep, and the prior Gerard succeeded him in that office. 
Walter* Fitz-Alan, the steward of the king of Scotland, our inti- 
mate friend, died. May his blessed soul Uve in glory ! 

> Walter Fits- Alan was a considerable benefactor to the monasteiy of Melrose. 
See Morton's Monastic Annals, pp. 266, 275. 



A.II. 1180.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 137 

A.D. 1178. Richard, bishop of Dunkeld, died, and also Richard, 
bishop of St. Andrew's. Master John, sumamed the Scot, was 
decteid to the bishopric of St. Andrew's ; but king William re- 
sisted his election with all his power, and relying upon his kingly 
authority, he caused his chaplain, Hugh, to be consecrated bishop 
of the diurch of St. Andrew's. Hence arose a grievous dispute ' 
and a dangerous schism. The sun grew pale at midday, and was 
nearly obscured upon the ides of September [13th Sept.]. Holland 
was submerged. The countess Ada died. She was the mother of 
Malcolm and William, kings of Scotland, and of earl David. Laurence, 
of pious memory, the fifth abbot of Melrose, died ; he was a man 
of extraordinary humility and gentleness, and well skilled in the 
scriptures. Geofirey, abbot of Dunfermelin, died ; and Walter* de 
Bidun, the chancellor of the king of Scots, was elected to the 
church of Dunkeld. 

A.D. 1179. Emald, the sixth abbot of Melrose, received the 
blessing from Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, in our church, upon the 
day of our Lord's epiphany [6th Jan.]. Pope Alexander the third 
celebrated a great council at Rome, in the church which is called 
the church of Constantine, upon the " Laetare Hierusalem," which 
was on the fifth of the ides of March [11th March], in the 
twentieth year of his pontificate. In the same c6uncil Henry,* 
abbot of Clairvaux, was elected bishop of the church of Alba ; and 
he was consecrated by our lord pope Alexander, in the church of 
St. Mary, which is called Narcissa, on the third Sunday after 
Easter [15th April], on which "Vocem jucunditatis " is sung. 
Reinald, the first abbot * of St. Thomas the martyr in Scotland, 
and Adam, the parson of Dunbar, died. There died also Amfrid, 
the second abbot of Newbottle, on the fourteenth of the kalends of 
September [19th Aug.]; and Alina, countess of Dunbar, died on the 
thirteenth of the kalends of September [20th Aug.]. On the day 
of St. Bartholomew the apostle [24th Aug.] there was a severe 
storm of thunder and lightning throughout the whole of Helie- 
landeschire. William, king of Scotland, and his brother David, with 
the earls and barons of the land, and accompanied by a large and 
powerful army, proceeded to Ros, and there they fortified two 
castles; the name of the one was Dunscath, and of the other 
Etherdover. 

A.D. 1 ] 80. John, abbot of Kelso, died ; Osbert, prior of St. 
Machutus, succeeded. A great dispute between the house of Mel- 
rose and Richard de Moreve, concerning the forest and pasture 
between the Galge and Ledre, was decided at Haddington, upon 
mid- Lent Sunday [30th March], in the presence of William, the 
king of the Scots, and earl David his brother, and before a large 
body of persons, as well ecclesiastics as laymen ; and, by the 

* The dispaiee which took place between the see of Rome and the king of Scot- 
land are detailed by Hoveden. 

' Fordun (L 475) states that Walter de Bidun succeeded to Dunkeld ; whilst 
Keith (p. 76) and the author of the Caledonia (L 712) consider this entry as his 
obit. » See OalL Christ, iv. 802. 

* Reginald was the first abbot of Aberbrothoc^ founded by King William in 
Honour of Thomas Becket See Fordun, L 479. 



138 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [JuDullSO— 

assistance of God, the justice of their cause gained the suit forthe 
monks upon this occasion ; so that by the force of their title-deeds, 
and by the authority of the privileges granted them by the church 
of Rome, the property was adjudicated' to them. Baldwin, abbot 
of Ford, a man venerable and to be esteemed from his learning 
and holiness, was chosen bishop of Worcester, and God regarded 
his lowliness ; for although the excellence of his life placed him 
far above others, yet his humility alone exalted him in God's sight. 
He did not value the world — nay, he despised it ; nor did he strive 
after its honours, but disregarded them. Alexis,' a subdeacon of the 
holy Roman church and the nuncio of the apostoUc see, in order 
that he might know the truth respecting the church of St. Andrew's, 
came into the kingdom of Scotland, with John the elect [bishop], 
king William with difficulty assenting thereto. He was the cause 
of annoyance to many, and he provoked to anger the heart of the 
king. John, the elect of St. Andrew's, was sent to the court, 
after having been confirmed by pope Alexander; but out of regard 
to the dignity of the church of St. Andrew's, and for the king's 
honour, permission was granted that he might be consecrated in his 
episcopal see by such bishops as he should choose. But Alexis, 
after much deliberation and many grievances, and after he had 
excommunicated some of the king's clerks, and even placed the 
bishopric of St. Andrew's under interdict, at last caused the afore- 
said John to be honourably consecrated bishop in the see whidiwe 
have mentioned; and this was done by the pope's command, in a 
large meeting of bishops, abbots, and religious personages, who 
assembled at Edinburgh, in the church of Holyrood, on the octaves 
of Pentecost, that is to say, on the sixth of the ides of June [8th' 
June], Matthew, bishop of Aberdeen, being the consecrating bishop. 
But John, when consecrated, finding that he had no see, and being 
afraid of the king and apprehensive of the anger of the noUes, 
immediately fled from the province, and sorrowfuUy betook himself 
to a place of greater safety. 

A.D. 1181. William de* Tulosa, of pious memory, abbot of 
Citeaux, died, and was succeeded by Peter de Pontiniac. Louis, 
king of France, being a pious and religious man, despised this evil 
world, having resigned to his son Philip the realm which he had 
energetically governed for forty-four years, and afterwards (God 
directing him) he humbly retired to an abbey of the Cistexcian 
order, called Port, which he himself had founded; and in the same 
year he happily departed from the body of this death. Matters of 
business required that William, king of the Scots, and earl David 
his brother, should go to the parts beyond the sea, to king Henry the 
elder. In many localities throughout England there were great 
storms of thunder and lightning, and tempests of wind, and floods 
of waters. There were done many and great miracles at St. Edmund's, 
by the blessed youth Robert, whom a Jew had cruelly put to 

* An extract from the charter given by William to the convent in confirmation 
of this decision, is printed in Morton's Monastic Annals, p. 217. 

» See Fordun, i. 352; Hovod. 341. 
^ These dates do not coincide. 

* Concerning this abbot and his successor, see QalL Christ iv. 988, 989. 



A.D.118i.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 139 

death in secrecy. The like extraordinary occurrences happened at 
Huntingdon, in regard to another boy named Herbert, whom his 
own father had crueUy bound to a stake, and miserably drowned in 
the river which runs near the town. A comet appeared in the 
month of July. Bishop Joceline enlarged his episcopal residence, 
and magnificently extended the church of St. Kentegem. On the 
third of the kalends of September [30th Aug.] died pope Alex- 
ander the third, of pious memory, in the twenty-third year of his 
pontificate. He was succeeded by Lucius the third, who was pre- 
viously known as Hubald, bishop of Ostia. Robert, archbishop of 
York, died on the tenth of the kalends of December [22d Nov.], 
in the twenty-seventh year of his episcopate. 

A.D. 1182. Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, and £[mald], abbot of 
Melrose, and Osbert, abbot of Kelso, with many other men of con- 
sequence, went to Rome* upon the afiairs of the king and the king- 
dom ; and having, by God's help, cautiously and prudently accom- 
plished their mission, they returned hale and happy to their own 
homes. Pope Lucius the third transmitted by them a golden rose 
to William, the king of the Scots, along with his patenud blessing. 
The elder Henry, kmg of England, passed the sea; and, by God's 
assistance, he brought about a peace between Philip, king of France, 
and Philip, earl of Flanders. Waldeve,' earl of Dunbar, died, 
and was succeeded by his son Patrick. The emperor Frederic 
compelled his nephew, Henry, the duke of Saxony, the son-in-law 
of Henry, king of England, to go into exile, in consequence of 
some injustice inflicted upon him ; and so he was compelled to 
betake himself to king Henry in Normandy, where, accompanied 
by his own family, he arrived sorrowing and lamenting. But he 
was honourably received, and a place of residence was assigned him 
during his period of banishment. During the month of September 
many fishermen and their vessels miserably perished at sea, 
between Hartlepool and Whitby, during the night. 

A.D. 1183. William, king of the Scots, gave, in honourable 
manner, his daughter Isabella in marriage to Robert de Brus. 
She was his issue by the daughter of Robert Avenel. A disgraceful 
and unnatural feud arose among the sons of Henry, king of Eng- 
land, the issue of one mother, whence many evils originated, and 
many met their death. The younger Henry, king of England, 
died during the fourteenth year after he had been crowned ; this 
occurred on the third of the ides of June [11th June], at a town 
called Martel. 

A.D. 1184. Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, died. Out of 
regard to the peace of the church and of the poor, Henry, king of 
England, although unwillingly, yet did his homage to Philip, king of 
France, and after Pentecost * returned prosperously into England. 
Peter,* abbot of Citeaux, was elected to the bbhopric of Araz, and 
was succeeded by the abbot' of Fontenei. William, king of 

1 See Hoved. 351. * Douglas's Peerage, iL 168. 

* Whitsunday fell upon 20th May. 

* See GalL Christ iv. 988, and liL 828. 

* Namely, Bernard; Id. iv. 988 and 498. 



140 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.O. 1184^ 

Scotland, gave his daughter Ada in marriage to earl Patrick. 
Simon, bishop of Moray, one of our congregation, died on the fif- 
teenth of the kalends of October [17th Sept.], By God's blessings 
the dispute was decided * which had existed between the church of 
Melrose and the men of Wedhale respecting the pasture of the 
king's forest. This was done at Crosselige by Richani de Morville, 
the king's constable, and by twelve other faithful men, on the day 
of St. Luke the evangelist [18th Oct.], in the presence of king 
Wilham, and his brother earl David, and of many other earls, 
barons, and people of station. Upon that occasion the twelve 
jurors made oath in the king's presence, tremblingly and reverently, 
and upon the reliques of our church; and they affirmed as tnidi 
that the king's forest extends as far as the road which runs towards 
the west of the church of the blessed Mary of Wedhale, and that 
the pasture of the church of Melrose extends as far as to the 
boundaries of Wedhale, and as far as the brook called Fassebum ; 
and this they hold by the gift of three kings, namely, David, Mal- 
colm, and William, and it is confirmed and established beyond 
doubt or dispute, by the bulls of four or five Roman pontifis. 

The venerable Baldwin, bishop of Worcester, was elected arch- 
bbhop of Canterbury. 

A.D. 1185. Andrew, bishop of Caithness, of pious memory,, 
died at Dunfermlin, on the third of the kalends of January [30Ui 
Dec.]. William, formerly abbot of Melrose, of pious memory, 
died at Rievaulx. 

Robert Avenel,' a novice, an intimate friend, died on the eighth 
of the ides of March [8th March]. He gave to God, and to St. 
Mary, and to the monks of Melrose, his land of Heskedale, as is 
witnessed by his charter. May his blessed soul live for ever in 
glory! 

Eraclius, patriarch of Jerusalem, and the prior of the hospital 
of Jerusalem, came, with difficulty and in grief, to Henry, king 
of England, humbly intreating his aid and advice; but he did 
not receive them with the respect and honour which was due to 
them, as well as to himself. 

Henry, king of England, gave, at Windsor, the earldom of Hunt- 
ingdon to William, king of Scotland, as honourably and fully as 
he had held it before the war. There was a great earthquake 
throughout England during the month of April. The sun was 
ecUpsed on the kalends of May [1st May], on the fourth day of 
the week [Wednesday] in the afternoon, and the stars became 
visible. A battle was fought in Galloway, upon the fourth of the 
nones of July, being the fifth day of the week [Thursday, 4th July], 
between Roland and Gillepatric, in which many were killed on the 
side of the latter, and he himself was slain with the rest. Roland 
fought a second battle against Gillecolm, in which Roland's brother 
fell, and Gillecolm ' was killed. 

' See Morton's Monastic Annals, p. 217. 

' Concoming this iudividual, and his benefactions to the church of Mehtvte. 
see Morton's Monastic Annals, p. 273. 
3 See Fordun, L 490; and Hoved. 858. 



^all87.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 141 

Pope Lucius the third died, and was succeeded by Urban the 
third. 

A.D. 1 186. At a city which is caUed Dune, in Ireland, were dis- 
covered the bodies of certain saints, namely, of St. Patrick, the 
bishop of St. Columbanus the abbot, and of St. Brigid the virgin. 
Geoffirey, earl of Brittany, the son of Henry, king of England, 
died at Paris , abbot of Citeaux, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by William, abbot of Pratea. Henry, king of England, 
came to Carlisle in the month of August, with a great army, 
against Roland. But Roland came to him, under the safe conduct 
of king William, and did him homage. William, king of the 
Scots, married a relation of Henry, king of England, named Er- 
mengarda ; ' she was the daughter of the count of Beaumont, who 
was the son of the daughter of the elder son of WilUam the 
Bastard. The marriage took place with great magnificence, on the 
nones of September [5th Sept.] (being the sixth day of the week 
[Friday], the moon being in her eighteenth day), in the royal chapel 
in the park at Woodstock, in the presence of the king himself. 
Christian, bishop of Whitheme, of pious memory, died at Holm- 
cultram, on the nones of October [7th Oct.]. Peter,' abbot of 
Clairvaux, died, and was succeeded by Guamerius, abbot of Alta 
ripa [Auberive]. 

A.D. 1187. On Sunday, the kalends of March [1st March], 
Richard, the clerk of king William, was elected to the bishopric of 
Moray; and on the ides of the same month [15th March], on ^e day 
of our Lord's passion, he was consecrated at St. Andrew's, in Scot- 
land, by Hugh, bishop of the same church. Arthur, the son of earl 
Geofirey, was bom in Brittany, on the kalends of April [1st April], 
being Easter * eve ; his mother was Constance, die daughter of 
Margaret, the sister of Malcolm and William, kings of Scotland. 

The Turks, those enemies of God, violated the church of St. 
Mary of Nazareth, and slew many people ; and there the Master 
of the Hospital * and five of his knights were killed, as well as 
many others, on the day of the apostles Philip and James [1st 
MayJ. On the Friday after, the feast of the apostles Peter and 
Paul [dd July], Saladin, king of Babylon, along with more than 
eighty thousand soldiers, invaded the kingdom of Jerusalem, and 
took Tiberias by storm, against whom the king of Jerusalem 
marched with his troops a day's journey towards Tabarum. Having 
reached a rocky eminence, the king found himself compelled to give 
battle to the enemies who pressed upon him from every quarter, the 
barons agreeing thereto. Here the Christians were assailed by king 
Saladin, with his trumpeters and a countless multitude of soldiers, 
who attacked them widi every species of warfare, while they could 

' His name was Bernard. Conoeming him and his suooessor, see GalL Christ 
iy. 989. 

' The grandmother of this Ermengard was a natural daughter of Henry I., 
king of &tgland. Concerning the marriage, see Hoved. 860. 

' See Gall. Christ, iv. 808, fbr some account of these two individuals. 

' Easter Sunday fell upon April 3rd. 

* See L'Art de Vdrif. lea Dates, v. 67, ed. 8vo.; also Gervase, coL 1502: Hored. 
S61. 



142 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENOIAND. [a. D. 1187-^ 

offer very little resistance, in consequence of the rugged and broken 
nature of the ground. They were defeated; and Saladin's nephew, 
Tochedin, captured as well the king who had taken to flight, as also 
the cross of our Lord ; while nearly all the others were defeated, 
captured, put in chains, or killed. Saladin forthwith caused the 
Knights Templars and Hospitallers to be separated from the rest, 
and then beheaded while he looked on. With his own hands he 
killed prince Reinald de CasteUione ; and on that day, as is re- 
ported upon good authority, there were beheaded two hundjned and 
thirty of the brethren of the Temple, exclusive of the six hundred 
who had fallen on the first day of May. 

William, king of Scotland, at the head of a considerable army, 
marched into Moray against MacwiUiam ; ' and vrtien the kix^ had 
reached the town of Inverness with his troops, the earls of Scotland 
sent their men on the pillage, and they discovered MacwiUiam and 
his followers upon the mount which is called Mamgarvey,' near 
Moray. They immediately attacked him, and, by God assistance, 
they killed him and many of his people on the day before the 
kalends of August [Slst July],' being the sixth day of the week 
[Friday]. Blessed be God who delivers up the wicked ! 

Pope Urban the third died on the 4th of the kalends of Novem- 
ber [29th Oct.], and on the kalends of the same month [Ist Nov.] 
Gregory the eighth was elected. He had been chancellor, and he 
was called " Pannosus," according to the translation of abbot 

,* and he was consecrated on the eighth of the kalends of 

the same month [24th Nov.]. On the sixteenth of the kalends of 
January [17th Dec.], pope Gregory the eighth died, and on the 
fourteenth of the kalends of the same month [19th Dec], Clement 
the fourth was elected, and consecrated on the following day. 

A.D. 1188. Philip, king of the Franks, and Henry, king of the 
English, and Richard, earl of Aquitaine, and Philip, earl of 
Flanders, and archbishops, and bishops, and earls, and barons, and 
a countless multitude of the people, rich and poor, and the nobility, 
of both sexes, pierced by repentance of heart, devoudy took the 
cross, the sign of our redemption. 

Henry, kmg of Ei^land, held a conference after the Purification 
of the blessed Mary [2d Feb.], at Gaeitun, with his bishops, eaiis, 
barons, and nobility, clergy and laity, concerning various matters 
of business, and there many of them assumed the cross, dthougfa 
conditionally ; and the king ordered and strictly enjoined them 
that they should give the tithes of all tiieir property in En^and for 
the relief of the land of Jerusalem, which the Lord had formeily 
visited for our redemption. Henry, the cardinal, the bishop of the 
church of Albano, formerly abbot of Clairvaux, died there. 

Richard de Morville, the constable, and his wife Avice, and 
William, their heir, gave to God and St. Mary, and the monks of 

> See Fordun, i. 480, 499; Hoved. 362. 
' Called Macgurey by Fordun, as cited above. 

^ Hailes (L 130) and Chalmers (i. 631) both err in the date, although they cite 
this Chronicle and Fordun as their authorities. 

* A blank space m the original See Pagi, a. d. 1187, § 14. 



A.DL 1190.1 CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 143 

Melrose, in perpetual alms, the land called Pare/ as is witnessed 
by their charter. May their good gifts be had in eternal remem- 
brance ! Hugh, the bishop of St. Andrew the apostle, died. Sil- 
vanus, the fourth abbot of Rievalx, humbly and entirely laid down 
his stewardship to God at Dundreinan. 

A.D. 1189. Aemald, abbot of Melrose, was elected to the cure 
of souls at Rievalx, on the sixth of the nones of March [Thursday, 
2d March], on the fifth day of the week; and Reiner, abbot of 
Kynlos, a monk of our church, was elected as abbot of Melrose, 
on the tenth of the kalends of April [Thursday, 23d March], on the 
fifth day of the week ; and Ralph, the prior of Melrose, took the cure 
of soub at Kynlos after him. Roger, the kinsman and chancellor 
of king William, was elected to the bishopric of St. Andrew the. 
apostle, upon the ides of April [Friday, 13th April],' being the 
sixth day of the week, at Perth. 

John de Anagnia, the cardinal, and four archbishops, and many 
bishops, and prelates of various ranks, by the command of pope 
Clement the fourth, pronounced the sentence of excommuni- 
cation against all persons, as well clergy as laymen, who should 
impede the accomplishment of a treaty between the two kings 
of France and England (who were there present, along with earl 
Richard, and a large assemblage of the people) and the said earl- 
Richard, or should thwart the expedition to Jerusalem. This 
sentence was pronounced against such persons as the enemies of 
our Lord's cross (through which arises our life), near the place 
called "Feritas Bemardi" [La Ferte Bernard], where they had 
their interview. 

Henry, king of England, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and 
earl of Anjou, died at the town of Chinon, on the day before the 
nones of July [6th July], in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, and 
he was buried at Fontevrauld, in the abbey of the nuns who 
there serve God. Richard his son, the earl of Aquitaine, succeeded 
him ; he was crowned with great honour at London, by Baldwin, 
archbishop of Canterbury, and by the other bishops and prelates 
of England, upon Sunday, the third of the nones of September 
[3d Sept.]. 

Ralph, the second abbot of Cupre, died on the kalends of August 
[Thursday, 1st Aug.],' being the fifth day of the week ; his suc- 
cessor was Adam, the sub-prior of Melrose. Silvanus, formerly 
abbot of Rievalx, of pious memory, died on the seventh of the ides 
of October [9th Oct.], at Belelande, and was honourably buried 
there. Richard de Morville,^ the constable of king William, died; 
he was a firm friend of ours. The emperor Frederick was drowned 
in a river. 

A.D. 1190. William, king of the Scots,* gave ten thousand 
marics of gold and silver to 'Richard, king of the English, that 
he might recover his dignities, liberties, and honours, which he had 

' See Morton's Monastic Annals, p. 263. 
' The thirteenth of April fell upon a Thursday. 

' The first of August fell upon a Tuesday ; the dates here do not agree. 
* He had become an inmate of the abbey of Melrose. See Monastic Arnials, 
p. 263. * See Rymcr's Fosd. I 60. 



144 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D.1190— 

possessed before the war, and obtain possession of Berwick and 
Roxburgh, which king Henry had detained from him by violence 
for sixteen years. Thus, by God's assistance, with dignity and 
honour to himself, he removed from the kingdom of the Scots the 
grievous yoke of that state of superiority and slavery to which it 
had been thus subjected. 

Humbly abandoning their kingdoms, homes, and honours, for 
the sake of Christ, Philip, king of France, Richard, king of Eng- 
land, and Philip, earl of Flanders, in company with Baldwin, 
archbishop of Canterbury, and many other archbishops and prelates, 
princes and dukes, nobles and rich men, and an innumerable 
multitude of the common people, set out for Jerusalem ; and 
having reached the city of Messana, in Sicily, there they remained 
all the winter until the month of April. Archbishop Baldwin^ 
died at Aeon, on the day of St. Edmund [20th Nov. J. Robert, 
earl of Leicester, Annand, and St. Giles, was taken with sickness, 
and, dying while in the Mediterranean sea, was buried at Duraz, a 
city in Greece ; whereupon his son Robert * became earl at Mes- 
sana, in Sicily. The blood of the Jews was shed in many places in 
England, as if they had been brute beasts : this occurred chiefly in 
York, where they killed each other. Hereupon they were all 
expelled. Earl David married the sister of Ralph, earl of Chester, 
(her name was Matilda,) on the Sunday first after the Assumption 
of St. Mary [26th Aug.]. 

A.D. 1191. On the kalends of January [1st Jan.] died Avicia, 
the wife of Richard de Mereville, the constable of king William. 
The king of Scots gave his daughter Ysembel (the widow of Robert 
de Brus), in marriage to Robert de Ross, at Haddington. [^Baldwin, 
archbishop of Canterbury (of our order), died in the Land of 
Promise, as also Ralph de Granville. Robert, earl of Leicester, 
died near Brundusium ; and the king of England gave his earldom 
of Leicester, and all the other lands which he had held, to his son, 
Robert de Bretoil, and made him earl thereof at the city of Mes- 
sana, in Sicily]. Pope Clement the fourth died on the fourth of 
the nones of April [2d April] ; and on the following day Celestine 
the third, formerly cardinal Jacinctus, succeeded him. On the 
third of the kalends of April [30th March], the king of France 
went on board his fleet, being on his voyage to Jerusalem ; and he 
was conducted on his way with great pomp by the king of England 
and the earl of Flanders, in their galleys. On the fourth of the ides 
of April [10th April], the king of England and his army embariced 
in one hundred and fifty ships, and six ... , and twenty-five lesser 
vessels, all English bottoms : he took along with him his sister 
Johanna, and the princess of Navarre, whom he was about to 
marry. The king of England appointed Arthur, duke of Brittany, 
as his heir, as well of England as of his other possessions, should it 

> See Gkrvase, coL 1678. » Dugd. Baron, i 88. 

' See Dtigd. Baron, i. 41, where this mdiyidual ia erroneously styled the eul of 
Angus. See also Hoved. f. 888. 

* The passage here printed between brackets is marked for omiasion in the 
original MS. ; Uie substance of it has already been incorporated in the Chronicler 



1.1IL119S.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 145 

happen that he himself should die without issue ; and this he 
caused to be confinned by the oath of hb bishops, earb, and 
barons. There was an eclipse of the sun at six o'clock on the 

3il of St. John the Baptist, being Sunday, the ninth of the 
ends of July [23d June]. 

^.D. 1192. Richard, abbot of Gedewurthe, died, and was suc- 
ceeded on the fourth of the kalends of June [29th May], by Ralph, 
a canon of the same church. Everard,' of pious memory, the 
first abbot of Holmcultram, died; his successor was Gregory, 
the under-cellarer. Philip, earl of Flanders, died in the land of 
Jerusalem. After his deadi Philip, king of France, influenced by 
covetousness, returned into France from the land of promise with- 
out delay, and, more like a heathen man than a Christian, he un- 
justly invaded, took, and cruelly destroyed the lands, viUs, towns, 
and castles, belonging to the king of England, in Normandy, while 
he was imprisoned by the emperor ; and this he did contrary to 
peace and justice, and in violation of hb oath, and the agreement 
to whidi he had sworn. 

A.D. 1193. William, king of the Scots, gave his daughter Mar- 
garet to Eustace de Vesd, atRokesburch ; she was his issue by the 
daughter of Adam de Hythusum. King William sent two thousand 
marks of silver from Rokesburch for the redemption of king 
Richard. Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, gave' to God and St. 
Mary of Melrose the church of the bishop St. Kentegem of 
Hastanedene, in pure and perpetual alms, for the good of his soul 
and the soub of hb predecessors and successors ; and this he did 
before many witnesses, as his charter testifies. May hb blessed 
spirit be for ever in eternal glory, and in happy memory! 

Duncan, the son of Gilebert of Galwey, gave to God and to St. 
Mary, and to the monks of Melrose, a certain portion of his lands 
in Karec, which is called Maybothel, in perpetual alms, for the 
health of hb own soul and of the souls of all his relatives, in the 
presence of bishop Joscelin and many witnesses, as his charter * 
avouches. 

Many persons laid wait, carefully, for Richard, kmg of England, 
as he was returning from the land of prombe, in the month of 
November, that they might betray him, and make him prisoner. 
At length (God so permitting it), he was captured by the men of 
Leopold, duke of Austria, and was unwillingly carried off, and 
placed in ward, much to his sorrow. He was afterwards sent to 
Henry, the emperor of Germany, in whose custody he was kept 
for more than a whole year, until he should give hostages, and pay 
die price of his delivery ; yet all this while he was treated with 
respect. See how unexpected and how rapid are the changes of 
the false and transitory dignities of this world ; see how variable 
and unstable are the security and the protection afforded by the 
fleeting glories of the present Ufe ; see how lamentable, how full of 

■ See Dugd. Monast. t. 693, ed. EUia. 

' ICorton, in his Monastic AnxudB, p. 272, cites the Cartulary of Melrose for the 
paitteiilars of this grant. 

* See the authority last dted, p. 274. 

VOL. IV. L 



146 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP BNGOAND. [a.I».119$— 

tears is the blind and corruptible ambition of secular power, or of 
one's own will. To-day a king, to-morrow a captive ; to-day in 
power, to-morrow in prison ; to-day rich, to-morrow poor ; to-day 
a freeman, to-morrow a slave. Be wise, therefore, ye judges of 
the world, come and see the works of the Lord, — see a king made 
wretched, a proud man humbled, a rich man b^gared ! Where 
now is thy boasting? where is thy loftiness, O vain and hoUow 
pride of man? Behold, it mounteth up like smoke, and then 
vanisheth away, and withers and dies like a flower of the field. 

A. D. 1194. On the evening of the third of the ides of March 
[13th March], being Sunday, king Richard arrived in England, 
and disembarked at Sandwich with great joy, on his return from 
his imprisonment and residence abroad; and in the octaves of 
Easter [17th April], being the fifteenth of the kalends of May, he 
was crowned at Winchester by Hubert, archbbhop of Canterbury. 
After this, that is to say, during the week before our Lord's Ascen- 
sion [12th — 19th May], he passed over into Normandy with a large 
body of soldiers. After he had arrived there, Philip, kii^ of 
France, laid siege to Vemeuil, with a considerable number of 
troops, and various warlike engines, but he returned thence into 
France in confusion ; and he went out of his direct road to bum 
down the city of Evreux, along with its cathedral church, and its 
two abbeys, one for monks, and the other for nuns ; and he carried 
off with him into France the reliques of that place. Then about 
the festival of St. Botulf [17th June], he captured in " Silva 
Leonis," and imprisoned at Etampes, Robert, earl of Leicester, 
who had foolishly come out from Rouen, attended by only twenty 
knights. In the meantime the king of England had taken a town 
of France called Mirabel, and had levell^ it with the ground. 
Marching from thence to Vendome, he put to flight the king of 
France, who was making preparations for the siege of that town ; 
and on the third of the nones of July [5th July], he captured his 
baggs^-wagons, which were laden wi^ many treasures and the 
furniture of his chapel. A few days afterwards he obtained pos- 
session of his castle of Loches (almost by a miracle), whidi had 
been burnt down, while the guards of the king of France fled from 
the fire which they themselves had kindled. 

Reiner, the seventh abbot of Melrose, on the fifteenth of the 
kalends of October [17th Sept.], being a Saturday, humbly resigned, 
under his seal, the pastoral charge of his abbey to £[niald] of Rie- 
vaux ; Ralph, abbot of Kinlos, succeeded him on the fourteenth 
of the kalends of October [Tuesday, 18th Sept.], being the second 
day' of the week. Adam, abbot of Cupre, voluntarily resigned 
his office, and was succeeded by Emald, prior of Newbottle. 

a:d. 1195. Gregory, bishop of Rosmaskin, died, and Reinald, 
monk of Melrose, was elected as his successor upon the third of 
the kalends of March [Monday, 27th Feb.], being the second day 
of the week, at Dunfermelin, and was consecrated on the fourth of 
the ides of September [10th Sept.]. How wonderfully did the 
hand of God bring about this election ! Hugh, bishop of Durham, 

^ ThA 18th of September fell upon a Simdi^. 



jLtilSOa.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 147 

died on the fifth of the nones of March [Friday, 3d Mardi], being 
the sixth day of the wedc, in the forty-thbd year of his episcopate. 
Reixiakl, the bishop-elect of Rosmark, honoorably received the 
rite of consecration at St. Andrew's in Scotland, upon Sunday, 
the fourdi of the ides of September [10th Sept.], at the hands ojf 
John, bishop of Dunkeki. The church of St. Andrew the apostle, 
of Pebles, was dedicated bv Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, on 
Sunday, die fourth of the kalends of November [29th Oct.]. 
William, king of Scots, issued a new coin^. 
. A.D. 1196. John de Rokesburch, treasurer of Glasgow, died at 
Mdrose, on the fourth of the nones of February [2d Feb.], being a 
novice of that house. William de Moreville, constable of ^&e 
kmg of Scots, died. 

A.D. 1197. William, kii^ of Jerusalem, died, and also Frederidc, 
the emperor of Germany. 

A battle was fought in Moray, near the castle of Inverness, be- 
tween the followers of the king, and Roderick and Thorphin the 
SOB of king Harold : but God decreed that the king's enemies 
riiould be defeated, and Roderick was slain, along with many 
others. Blessed be God over aU, who defeats the wicked ! Aftet 
this king William and his army went into Moray, and into the 
other more remote districts of his kingdom, and there he took 
prisoner earl Harold, and then caused him to be guarded in the 
casde of Rozbur^, until his son Thorfin surrendered himself as a 
hosti^ for his father. 

Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, dedicated his cathedral church, 
which he had built anew, upon Sunday, the day before the nones 
of July [6th July], in the twenty-fourth year of his episcopate. 
A new town was built between Don and Ar. 

A.D. 1198. Pope Cdestine died on the sixth of the ides of 
January [8th Jan.], and was succeeded by Innocent. Roger, the 
son of the earl of Leicester, was consecrated bishop of St Andrew's, 
on the first Sunday in Lent [15th Feb.]. Erchinbald, abbot of Dun- 
fcrmelin died, and was succeeded by Robert of Berwidc. Alexander, 
the son of William, king of the Scots, was bom on the day <^ 
St. Barthol(»new the apostle [24th Aug.], and at his birth many 
rqoiced. 

A.D. 1199. Joceline, bishop of Glasgow, died at Melrose, upon 
the sixteenth of the kalends of April [17th March]. Richard, lung 
of England, died ^ on the day before the ides of April [1 2th April]. 
Emald, abbot of Rievaux, resigned his pastoral care, and was suc- 
ceeded by William de Pnncbard. John, king of England, was 
crowned on Ascension day [27th May]. Hugh, the chancellor, 
-died on the sixth of the ides of July [10th July]. Matthew, 
bishop of Aberdeen, died on the thirteenth of the kalends of Sep* 
tember [20th Aug.]. William Malvesine was made chancellor on 
the sixth of the ides of September [8th Sept.]. 

A.D. 1200. William, master of the converts of Melrose, was 
made abbot of Cupre on the eighteenth of the kalends of Fe- 
bruary [15th Jan.]. William Malvesine was consecrated. 

* This date is inoorreet, for Richard died upon Taeaday, 6th April 

L2 



148 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [^.D. 1201— 

A.D. 1201. Hugh, abbot of Newbottle, humbly resigned his 
x>ffice, and was succeeded by Adam, the master of the converts of 
the same establishment. Tlie nobility of the land swore fealty to 
Alexander, the king's son, on the fourth of the ides of October 
* [12th Oct.], at Muchselburg. John de Salerno, presbyter-cardinal, 
held his council at Perth, and there enacted the observance of 
many constitutions. 

. A.D. 1202. Roger, bishop of St. Andrew's, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by William Malvecine, bishop of Glasgow. John de 
Salerno, the legate of the apostolic see, having gone into Ireland, 
made Ralph, abbot of Melrose, bishop at Down, and he was suc- 
ceeded in the government of Melrose by William, abbot of Cupre. 
Ralph, bishop of Brechin, was consecrated. William Malvecine 
,was translated from Glasgow to St Andrew's. The legate of the 
apostolic see, whom we have already mentioned, was honourably 
received at Melrose ; and there he remained for more than fifty 
•nights, chiefly for the purpose of putting an end to the dispute 
."which existed between the monks of Kelso and those of Melrose. 
•He gave ample promises to both parties, but satisfaction to neither; 
•and after having received from each very numerous gifts in gold 
and silver, and a large number of horses, he departed thence, 
having done no good to either of the disputants, but left the suit ' 
in much the same state as he found it. 

A.D. 1203. John, bishop of Dunkeld, of happy memory, died, 
and was succeeded by Robert de Prebenda, the king's clerk and 
.kinsman. Richard, bishop of Moray, died, and was succeeded by 
Brice, prior of Lesmahagu. Emisius, abbot of Rufford, died. 
.Osbert, abbot of Kelso, died, and was succeeded by Geoffrey, prior of 
the same place. William, abbot of Rievaux, died. William of Blois 
was made bishop of Lincoln. King John returned into England, 
after having disgracefully lost his lands and castles on the continent 

A.D. 1204. Geoffrey undertook the rule of Rievaux. Alan 
Fitz Walter died. Queen Elianor died. Danecastre [Doncaster] 
was entirely destroyed by fire on Easter evie [24th April] . Eari 
Duncan' died. Geoffrey de Luci, bishop of Winchester, died. In 
the land of promise seven bishops renounced the Christian faith. 
Baldwin, earl of Flanders, became emperor at Constantinople. By 
'the treacherous behaviour of his own people, John de Curci was 
taken prisoner by Hugh de Lasci. Peter, abbot of Webum, died 
at Vacellae [Vaucluse]. Alexander, abbot of Sautrey, died. 

A.D. 1205. Earl David performed his homage to his nephew 
Alexander, the son of king William. Two moons appeared in the 
sky at the same time; both of them were of the same size. Their 
horns touched each other at one extremity, but they were widely 
apart on the other; at last, however, they coalesced. A frost, 
severe and terrible, and of long continuance, everywhere destroyed 
the sheep and oxen and horses which were in the woods. The 

^ It is probable that the point at issue was tbe boundary between the pot< 
■enions of these contiguous establishmenta See Monast. Annals, p. 218. 

* Probably Duncan, earl of Fife, who, according to Douglas (Baron. L 574) 
died in 1208. 



A.II.1208J CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 149 

walk of Rouen were levelled with the ground, by the men of th^ 
king of France. Hugh, archbishop of Canterbury, died on the 
third of the ides of July [7th Aug.].' Ralph, abbot of Jedde- 
worth, died on the seventh of the ides of August [7th Aug.] 

A. D. 1 206. Richard de Cave was made abbot of Kelso, on the 
fourth of the kalends of April [29th March]. On the ides of 
April [11th April], the moon being nineteen days old, thunder was 
heard. Oh the 7th of the kalends of May [25th April], such a 
great quantity of snow fell, as would scarce be credited by thos4 
persons who had not seen it. On the sixth of the ides of May 
[10th May], William of Blois, bishop of Lincoln, died. Earl 
Arald * died. William, the ninth abbot of Melrose, died on the 
sixth of the ides of June [8th June]. Patric, sub-prior of Melrose, 
was made the abbot of the same place. 

A.D. 1207. John, bishop of Aberdeen, died, after whom Adam, 
the king's clerk (who was sumamed of Calder*), was elected. 
Patric, the tenth abbot of Melrose, of good remembrance, died, 
and was succeeded by Adam, the prior of the same place. Florence 
the [bishop] elect of Glasgow, resigned his charge by the pope's 
permission. William, bishop of St. Andrew's, spent some time 
•abroad. Ralph de Sules was killed in his own house by his own 
domestics. The greater part of Roxburgh was accidentally de- 
stroyed by fire. Walter, the king's chaplain, was elected bishop c^ 
Glasgow, on the fifth of the ides of December [9th Dec.]. An 
angel appeared to a certain holy hermit and repeated these words 
to him, " Roman shall rise against Roman, and at Rome Roman 
shall supersede Roman. The new flock shall always be upon the 
increase. The shepherds* staves shall be lightened, and their 
leader shall be a consolation. Rain shall begin to fall from a heavy 
cloud, for one is bom who shall change the course of the world." 

Udard, abbot of Coupre, died ; his successor was Richard. 

A.D. 1208. England was placed under interdict in the month of 
March, fifteen days before Easter [23d March]. The cause was 
this. Upon the death of Walter Hubert, archbishop of Canter- 
bury, a dispute arose between the king and the monks concerning 
the election of a successor, the king making choice of one, the 
monks of another. Several of the monks being arrived at Rome, 
advocating the causes of the several candidates, the pope, after he 
had heard the pleadings on each side, quashed the election of all of 
them, and enjomed that they should proceed anew with an election, 
according to the canons, and that this should be done in his pre-^ 
sence. Hereupon they chose Master Stephen de Langton, and 
the pope wrote to the king of England respecting him, in terms of 
recommendation, and requesting diat he might be accepted. Here- 
upon the king was grievously offended; not only because hifi^ 
own nomination had been set aside, but also because his messengers^ 
the monks, had acted contrary to their promise ; and so he swore 

> Qeryafe, coL 1683, agrees with this date. 

' Perhaps Harold, earl of Caithness. See Fordun, I 612 and 516. 
* Foidan, i. 621, calls him " de Carail/' thereby meaning that he was a native 
of CnU, in Fife; 



160 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.11. ISOS— 

that he would never accept this same Stephen. The pope bore 
with this for a considerable time, and wrote to the king, and ad- 
monished him, but his admonitions went for nothing ; and then 
(as has been said), he placed the land under an interdict, so that 
no [mass] could be chanted, either in public or in private, and it 
was so arranged that neither might the dying have communion, 
nor the dead burial. 

Philip, bishop of Durham, died. Apprehensive of the king's 
tyranny, almost all the clergy deserted Oidford ; but a few of them, 
^o had remained for a short time afterwards, at length departed, 
in consequence of divine service being suspended throughout the 
whole town by the interdict ; and some went to Reading, and part 
of them to Paris. Richard, abbot of Kelso, died, and wassucceeded 
by Henry, the prior of the said house, on the fifteenth of the kalends 
of July [Wednesday, 17th June]. On the ides of September [lOth 
Sept.], being the fourth day of the week, the new burial-ground at 
Driburgh was dedicated by William, bishop of St. Andrew's. Gil- 
bert, formerly abbot of Alnwick, died» and was succeeded in the 
following year by Godfrey, abbot of Driburgh ; and in his room 
William, prior of Driburgh, was elected abbot of the same house. 

Walter, the [bishop] elect of Glasgow, was consecrated in his 
see at Glasgow, on the day of the commemoration of All Souls 
[2d Nov.], he having obtained the pope's sanction. Adam, abbot 
of Alnwick, was deposed on the fifth of the ides of December. 

A.D. 1209. John, king of England, commanded William, king 
of Scotland, to meet him at Newcastle ; they met at Boyeltun. 
So William, king of the Scotts, and the king of England, came to 
Norham on the ninth of the kalends of May [Thursday, 23d 
April], on the fifth day of the week, and upon both occasions, as 
well in going as returning, he took up his abode at Alnwick, at his 
own costs ; and both kings had a conference at the castle aforesaid, 
but the interview was broken off on the sixth of the kalends of 
May [26th April], no good having resulted from it. 

Ralph, the priest of Dunbar, accepted the cure of Hecdes. 
John, bishop of Whithem, died, and was succeeded by Walter, 
the chamberlain of Alan Fitz Roland. Ralph, the archdeacon of 
St. Andrew's, died, and was succeeded by master Lawrence, the 
official. Alan^ Fitz Roland married the daughter of earl David, 
the brother of the king of Scotland. 

Our lord the pope gave permission that once in the week divine 
service might be celebrated in the abbeys throughout Elngland, bat 
in a low voice, with closed doors, and after the seculars had been 
excluded. 

About the feast of St. James [25th July], the kings of En^and 
and Scotland, with their respective armies, had a meeting, and then 
peace was concluded between them, — upon these terms, however, 
that the king of Scotland should give the king of England his two 
daughters to be assigned in marriage, along with thirteen thousand 
pounds, and should be permitted to overthrow the castle which had 
been erected opposite to Berwick ; and this was done. And for the 

' This WM Alan, the son of Roland, fourth lord of Galloway. 



A.]Il1210.} chronicle OP MELROSE. 151 

oboervance of die peace he gave him as hostages the sons of the 
nobility of the land ; but this was done contrary to the wishes of 
the Scots. 

About the feast of St. Martin [1 1th Nov.], the bishops of Salis- 
bury and Rochester came into SoDtland, of whom one, he, namely, 
of Salisbury, took up his residence at Kelso, the other at Rox- 
burgh ; but each paid his own expenses. To mark his respect for 
those venerable persons, the king of Scotland gave them eighty 
chalders of wheat, sixty-six of barley, and eighty of oats. 

Richard,' abbot of Cupre, resigned, and was succeeded by 
Alexander. 

A.D. 1210. Richard, bishop of Dunkdd, died in the month of 
May; and Thomas de Colville' was taken prisoner, and placed in 
ccmfinement at Edinburgh, on account of the rebellion which he 
had been plotting against his king and lord, as report had generally 
stated. At the feast of St. Martin [11th Nov.], he redeemed 
himself. 

Having collected an army, king John subdued Ireland in the 
month of June ; on his return from Ireland he plundered the 
Cistercian monks in many places. As for the Jews, he pillaged 
them of nearly everything they possessed, and drove them out of 
their houses ; the eyes of some he plucked out, some he starved 
to death, and all of them he reduced to such an extremity of 
want, that they, though Jews, went from door to door, asking 
food from the Christians, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thus they 
were starved like the dogs, and went about the city ; so that in 
them was fulfilled, in the literal sense, that which had been pro- 
phesied of them as follows : " They go to and fro in the evening ; 
they grin like a dog, and run about through the city." [Ps. lix. 6.] 
As soon as the king of France became aware of this, he cunningly 
issued a proclamation that all the Jews should at one and the same 
time be committed to prison throughout all the provinces of 
France ; for he was well aware of the fact, that however far apart 
the Jews might be situated from each other, however scattered 
throu^ the different quarters of the globe, yet they were bound 
together by one common bond of iii^delity, and supported each 
other to the best of their ability in every necessity. When this 
had been done, he so thoroughly pillaged them in every way, that 
they could not provide even for themselves ; moreover, he restored 
to his knights, without interest, those lands and title-deeds which 
diey had pledged to the Jews, and so " the rich he sent empty away." 

in the same year a great council was held at Paris, where had 
been summoned the archbishops, bishops, and other prelates of 
the whole Gallican church, and all the magistracy of the city. It 
was directed chiefly against those superstitious heretics who had 
crept into widows' houses, and by their perverted interpretation of 
Holy Scripture, had secretly seduced a very great multitude of the 
simple ones. It is wiser, however, to conceal their lamentable 
errors, than to publbh them by description. In this same council 
some of them were convicted of heretical pravity, and of being 

1 This entry is by a later hand. * See Douglaa ■ Peera§^ l 850. 



152 CHXTRCH HWrORIANS OF BNOIAND. [a.D. 1210^ 

followers of the wicked sect of their master Amauri ; vrtiose bones 
(after having been first excommunicated by all the archbishops and 
bishops, in the sight and hearing of all the people,) were com- 
manded to be cast out of the consecrated burial-ground, in order 
that the others might take a warning. As for the heretics them- 
selves, after having been degraded in the presence of all the people, 
in the fields near the chapel of St. Honorat, fifteen days before 
Christmas [11th Dec.], and then handed over to the lay power, 
they were burnt with fire by the king's orders, three days afterwards. 
So obdurate were they in their obstinacy, that even in the flames 
they uttered not the faintest sound, llie lay people called them 
Papelards.' Master Robert de Cursun,' a man of venerable life, 
and illustrious in every branch of learning, (to whom our lord the 
pope had entrusted the chief office of preaching in France,) heartily 
persecuted these false prophets from the outset, and called them 
Almaricans, from the forenamed Almaric, or Godini, from one 
Godinus, a leader of that heresy of theirs, who suffered death by 
the infliction of the same punishment. Many of those who had 
fallen into this same error, but had repented, were cons^ed to 
imprisonment for life, having been previously degraded from holy 
orders. Thus it happened that in this year there was a great 
persecution, as well of Jews as of heretics. 

Louis, the son of Philip, king of France, was knighted by his 
father with the greatest pomp and rejoicings, at St. Lice, on the day 
of St. John the Baptist [24ih June]. 

A. D. 1211. On the day of St. Mary Magdalene [22d July], 
John, archdeacon of Lodiian, was elected bishop of Dunkeld. 
William, dean of Cunningham, died. William de Bois was made 
the chancellor of our lord the king of Scotland, on the vigil of 
SS. Peter and P^ul [28th June]. The king of England fortified 
castles in Wales, and so subdued it. Warin, abbot of Rievaux, 
died, and was succeeded by Elias, the cellarer of the same house. 
Three abbots, those, namely, of Fountains, of Fumes, and of 
Caldre, received the benediction from our lord R. bishop of 
Down, at Melrose, upon the day of St. Lucy [13th Dec] ; and 
moreover, two abbots besides received the gift of the benediction 
from him this same year. 

During this year an innumerable destruction of men took place 
in every region. It conmienced in the East, and did not cease 
until it reached the West. There was a man named Otho, illustrious 
amongst all his compeers for nobility of family; he was eminent 
and conspicuous in every battle, a champion who distinguished 
himself in every army. Him our lord the pope promoted to be 
emperor, anointed him, and crowned him. After he had subdued 
very many of the eastern provinces, and had been the cause of 
countless deaths, but not yet satisfied with human gore, he at last 
laid his bloody hands upon his own mother ; and having abridged 
by violence the dignities of the apostolic see, he endeavoured 

' See the Glosaaries of Du Gange and Roquefort. 

' A good account of this individual may be seen in Oudln, ii. 1715. See also 
Tanner, Bibl p 213. 



l.n.1212.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 153 

thereby to augment his own possessions. O how insatiable is the 
greed of ambition, which always howls for more in proportion as 
Its unsatisfied hunger has been gorged ! O how accursed a thing 
b that craving after the dignities of this world, which always dis- 
regards the limits of right and wrong, and always promises its 
followers that it has in store for them some position yet more 
elevated, and after having compelled them to stretch out their 
sacrilegious hands even against Grod, then, at last, secretly plunges 
them into the filthy abyss of every vice. These remarks apply with 
equal truth to all those persons who presume to lay violent hands 
upon any of the possessions of holy mother church. Need we say 
more ? The apostolic sentence was pronounced and promulgated 
against him, and upon its promulgation a new emperor was 
appointed by the papal edict. But what was the end of this very 
di^raceful strife, or with what result it was ultimately attended, the 
following narrative will declare more fully. 

In this same year the following incident occurred. The Albi- 
genses, a race of people cruel and rejected by God, who cast ofi* 
the righteousness of God, and wished to substitute their own, 
assail^ the religion of the catholic faith with open warfare. 
Whereupon, by the incitement of the apostolic see, and by the 
preaching of God's word, but chiefly by the inspiration of divine 
grace, no small body of the faithful with one assent met together 
in the parts of Tolouse, to oppose these mockers of God's law ; 
and having been arranged in troops, they engaged the infidels in a 
pitched battle, in which they slew an unprecedented number of 
them. This occurred in the month of September, on the fourth day 
after the feast of St. Mary,' in the year one thousand two hundred 
and eleven, under that most Christian leader and most victorious 
eari Simon, sumamed de Munforde, or de Rocheford, who from 
the outset had persecuted that people with the strictest severity. 

Scarce had this disturbance been brought to an end, and put 
down, when lo ! a new persecution of the Christians sprang up in 
another quarter. A bold and yet ignominious body of pagans 
landed from a considerable fleet upon the shores of Spain, and 
challenged the Christians to battle. The bold -hearted king (whose 
surname, however, styled him " the Little,") attacked them with 
his troops, and, aided by God's power, crushed nearly the whole of 
them ; for their king or chieftain (called de Mairhoc) had difficulty 
in escaping with his life, covered with disgrace. 

The king of France shed no small quantity of human blood in 
reducing to his own power the land belonging to the king of Eng- 
land which was situated on the continent. The like slaughter was 
peipetrated by the king of England in conquering the land of 
Ireland and Wales. Then the king of Scotland, while he was 
following up Guthred, the son of Macwilliam, and destroying those 
persons who had led him astray, left his path strewn with many 
dead bodies. 

A.D. 1212. A general decree went out from pope Innocent 

1 That 18, after the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Maiy, which is held 
upon the Sth Sept 



154 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.Dl 1212-- 

throughout all the Christian world, that, putting aside any excuse, 
all the pastors of the churches should assemble at Rome upon a fixed 
day, that is to say, upon the kalends of November [1st Nov.], one 
thousand two hundred and fifteen, for the purpose of there cele- 
brating a general council. Exception, however, was made in favour of 
a few who by common consent should remain in each country for 
the cure of souls. In the meantime the bishops should with all care- 
fulness preach the Word of life, strengthen those who were weak in 
the faith, and further should sign them with the sign of the sacred 
cross, in aid of the holy land of promise, which at that time was 
being treated infamously and disgracefully by the Saracens. 

Many were the great Ughts which were sent a latere from the 
pope. Doctors of most holy conversation, and of learning the 
most refined, came into every region of the world. Of these, two 
were sent hither ; one into England and the other into France ; the 
former of these was master Stephen de Langton, consecrated arch- 
bishop of Canterbury ; he who was despatched into France was 
master Robert de Curzun, presbyter and cardinal of the apostolic 
see, who was appointed legate and arbitrator for the whole of that 
kingdom. By the example of their holy conversation, and by the 
ministry of tikeir cathohc preaching, it was intended that they 
should illuminate both realms. By the advice of the aforesaid 
master Robert, the king of France expelled from all his cities all 
public usurers and common prostitutes, and all others who held 
our holy religion in contempt. 

Alexander, son of William the king of the Scots, went to 
London, and received the order of knighthood from the king of 
England, upon the eighth of the ides of March [Sth March], at 
the " Laetare Jerusalem," * being then in the nin'eteenth year of 
his age. Having thus been honourably knighted, he returned home 
with the approbation and congratulations of both realms. 

At this time there came forth in England a man of surprising 
boldness and abstinence, Peter by name, who declaring future 
events (I do not know by what spirit he was inspired), was in the 
habit of rebuking the king of England from day to day, for his 
cruelty towards the church ; and told him loudly, and to his face, 
that before long he would lose the honour of the kingdom, and 
even the name of a king. This, in fact, came to pass for the 
greater part ere long, as the succession of our history will make 
manifest. 

A.D. 1213. Reinald, bishop of Ross, formerly a monk of Mel- 
rose, died on the day of St. Lucy [13th Dec.]. After hb death 
master Andrew de Moray was elect^ ; but he refusing to be made 
a bishop, humbly resigned the honour of so great a dignity, having 
first obtained the pope's permission to do so. In his stead 
Robert, the chaplain of William, king of Scots, was appointed. 

Adam, abbot of Melrose, was elected to the cure of the 
bishopric of Caithness, on the nones of August [5th Aug.]. 
Emald, abbot of Citeaux, was elected, and consecrated archbbhop 

' This 18 the name of the fourth Sunday in Lent» which occurred on the 4th 
March. 



Itl4j CHR(M<ICLE OF MELROSE. 155 

of Narbonne.* By diligently preaching the Word of life, by con- 
firming the faith of Christ, and by persecution, he succeeded in 
deflCroying the sect of the Albigenses. His successor was Emald/ 
abbot " de Fonte Johannis." Wido,' abbot of Clairvaux, ex- 
hausted by the long-continued strictness of the order, which 
pressed heavily upon his (dd age, resigned to God and the order 
tbe seal and superiority of the establishment, which he could no 
loiigtf sustain. A few days after this he departed from this worlds 
in the ripeness of a venerable old age, and was succeeded by 
Conrad,^ abbot of Villiacum, of Brabant. 

Adam, abbot of Newbottle, in the beauty of humility, resigned 
his office; he was succeeded by Alan, sub-prior of Melrose. 
WUliam de Montibus, the chancellor of the diurch of Lincoln, 
died after Easter,^ a man of pious memory. In the next year, 
when Christian rites were restored to England, his body was trans- 
lated into the church of Lincoln, and there buried with the honour 
which was its due. 

A.D. 1214. The forenamed Adam, abbot of Melrose, was con- 
secrated bishop of Caithness, by William Malvecine, bishop of St. 
Andrew's, on the day of St. Mamertus the bishop, in the month 
of May [11th May]; and on the ides of May [15th May] he was 
focoeeded by Hugh de Clippestun, a monk of the same house. 
William, Idng of Scotland, of holy memory, going the way of all 
fleshy departed to the Lord by a happy death, in the forty-ninth 
year of his reign, in the seventy-second year of his age, on the 
second of the nones of December [4th Dec.], leaving his kingdom 
in a state of profound peace. His son Alexander, (being now in 
the seventeenth year of his age,) attended by a vast concourse of 
the nobility, proceeded to Scone, and there, according to the royal 
custom, and with the usual solemnities, he assumed the government 
of the realm of Scotland upon the eighth of the ides of December 
[6th Dec.], in equal honour and peace. 

William, the cellarer of Melrose, was elected abbot of Glenluce. 
The church of St. Mary of Hawic was dedicated by Adam, bishop 
of Caithness, upon the fourth of the kalends of June [29th 
May]. 

The abbot of Citeaux arrived in England for the purposes of his 
visitation. John, bishop of Dunkeld, of pious memory, died 
upon the nones of October [7th Oct.], after whom Hugh, the clerk 
De Sigillo, was elected. Alan, abbot of Newbottle, returned to 
his own house with humble devotion, and resigned the cure of its 
administration upon the eighth of the kalends of June [25th 
May], in the chapter ; Richard, the cellarer of the same house, 
succeeded him. 

Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, came into England between 
Easter and Whitsunday [30th March — 18th May], while all re- 
joiced and said, " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the 

' See Qallia ChriBi. vL 61, where are abundant proofs of Mb activity against 
the AlbigenBes. 

< Id. It. 989. * Id. p. 808. « Id. p. 804. 

* In 1218 Easter occurred on 14th April 



156 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. 11.1214-^ 

Lord." [Matt. xxi. 9.] The interdict ceased throughout Eng- 
land about the kalends of July [1st July]. 

One of the pope's clerks, named Pandulf, was sent into England 
to soften the king's heart, and persuade him to make condign satis* 
faction ; he returned to Rome, having made some progress towards 
a reconciliation, though it had not been fully completed. On his 
return another personage of considerable repute was despatched ; 
his name was Nicolas, a Cistercian monk, the chief penitentiary of 
the apostolic see. The object of his mission was this ; that by his 
legatine authority he should confirm the peace of which the terms 
had already been agreed upon, and after having received from the 
king the satisfaction which was due, he should absolve him from 
the bond of the anathema. But while this was in progress, Phihp, 
king of France, (acting, doubtlessly, by divine influence,) boldly rose 
against the king of England, and marched with a large army to the 
coast opposite his realms. Moreover, that simple prophet, P[eter], 
whom we have already mentioned, redoubled his rebukes in the 
very face of the king, and constantly announced that he would be 
deprived of his royal dignity ; and he remarked to him that the 
son of a certain good woman would reign after him ; meaning 
thereby, (as we understand it,) that he would be succeeded by 
Philip, the son of holy mother Church. Terrified, therefore, by 
these manifold alarms, when the cardinal arrived he did his homage 
to God and the holy mother church of Rome, and to the pope ; and 
with surprising meekness he resigned into the hands of the legate 
the perpetual subjection of his realm ; and as a testimony of this 
his subjection and homage, not only he, but also the nobility of his 
land, promised, by oath upon the holy shrines, that he and all his 
heirs would pay a yearly tribute of one thousand marks (that is to 
say, seven hundred for England, and three hundred for Ireland,) out 
of their own resources, to God and the pope, and all his successors. 
The oath contained this addition ; that he would make full restitution 
of everything which he had extorted from the churches, and from 
ecclesiastical persons, from the period when his land had first been 
laid under interdict ; and that henceforth he would hold his land 
from the lord pope as from a supreme king. All these things the 
king very readily promised to do. and he placed the crown of his 
realm under the feet of the legate. Blessed be God, the strong 
and the powerful over all, who knoweth, according to his good 
pleasure, how to bow under Himself the necks of the proud, and how 
to call to repentance the hearts of the stubborn ones. Yet not 
even now understanding that he had forfeited the kingly name, and 
lost his former honour, he commanded that this P[eterJ (whom we 
have more than once mentioned) should be put to a cruel death, 
an act which he afterwards most bitterly repented, as we shall have 
occasion to show presently. 

A battle was fought in Flanders, between Toumay and the bridge 
of Bovines, between Philip, king of France, and Otho, who had 
formerly been emperor of Germany, upon the Sunday next after 
the feast of St. James [27th July], which this year fell upon the 
sixth of the kalends of August. It appears from the written 



«,D.1916.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 157 

account sent by H./ abbot of Ursicampum, to A[mald], abbot 
of Citeaux/ that in this fight there were captured, on the side of 
Otho, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Boulogne, the earl of 
Salisbury, the earl of Tenekebrok, and the earl " Pilosus." Many 
barons of Flanders and Germany, and their sons, as well as many 
of the more illustrious and braver of the knights who took part in 
the battle, were also made prisoners, whom this abbot enumerated 
by name to the extent of nearly seven score. On Otho's side were 
thirty thousand horsemen, and two hundred thousand foot soldiers; 
the account of the knights who were captured was one hundred and 
twenty ; seventy were killed. Of the foot soldiers, three thousand 
times three thousand were slain. On the side of the French only 
three knights fell. It is true that the king of France was thrown 
off his horse, and fell into the midst of the fiercest of his enemies, 
who thirsted for nothing more than his blood; but by God's 
mercy, by the intercession with God of the Cistercian order (as 
be afterwards admitted), and by the courage of his own soldiers 
— some of whom allowed themselves to be killed over his body — 
he remounted his horse and escaped in safety. We cannot pass 
unnoticed, that the earl of Boulogne (whose rebellion was the 
cause of the whole war], when he threw himself on the ground 
before the king of France and entreated hb forgiveness, observed 
that he had done no wrong to that sovereign; whereupon the 
king indignantly reminded him of all the benefits which he had 
conferred upon him, and how ungratefully he had always repaid 
his kindness, and at last broke out in these words, "Be silent; 
for by the bones of St. James I will cause your eyes to be plucked 
out : and be assured of this, that as long as I am alive you shall 
never come forth from your prison." Moreover, he bound the 
keepers with an oath that they would not release the earl from 
prison, save only into his own hands, and that they would pay no 
attention either to his message or his letters. And lastly, he 
caused two strong and massive chains to be fixed in the trunk of 
a tree, bound to which, the earl became the warden of Peronne, 
much against his own inclination. 

A.D. 1215. Conrad, abbot of Clairvaux, arrived in England for 
the purpose of visiting the houses of that order ; and this he did 
with considerable rigour ; and in the daughter establishments he 
enjoined that many severe and strict rules should be observed, 
according to the institution of the order. 

Helyas, abbot of Rievalx, resigned his office, and was succeeded 
by Henry, abbot of Warden, on the sixth of the ides of April 
[8th April]. Roger, master of the converts of Wardon, was 
elected abbot of die same house on the third of the kalends of 
May [29th April]. An inroad was made into Moray by the 
enemies of our lord the king of Scotland ; that is, by Donald 
Ban, the son of Macwilliam, and Kennauh mac Aht, and the 
son of a certain king of Ireland, at the head of a large troop of 

' If the list of the abbots of Ouroamp given in the QaUia Christ, ix. 1131, bo 
eomplete, this initial letter must be incorrect. According to that authoritji John 
presided from 1212 until 1222. > Id. It. 991. 



158 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.]>. lS15u 

wic}ced ones. Machentagar attacked these enemies of the king, 
and crushed them effectually ; he cut off their heads, and presented 
this new kind of offering to the new king on the seventeenth of 
the kalends of July [15th June]; whereupon our lord the king 
made him a new knight. 

A' new state of things begun in England ; sudi a strange affair 
as had never before been heard ; for tibe body wished to rule the 
bead, and the people desired to be masters over the king. The 
king, it is true, had perverted the excellent institutions of the 
realm, and had mismanaged its laws and customs, and misgoverned 
his subjects. Hb inclination became his law ; he oppressed his 
own suDJects ; he placed over them foreign mercenary soldiers^ and 
he put to death the lawful heirs, of whom be had obtained pos- 
session as his hostages, while an alien seized their lands. The 
knights were summoned to discuss the matter with the king, but 
thej consulted their own safety and came armed. With one 
consent they swore that they would no longer endure die tyranny 
of this ui^ratefiil king. When they assembled on the first day 
they were willing to submit to the law ; but the king dela3red to 
meet them, and would not stand to the right. He fixed a second 
day at a future time, but neither did he keep that appointment ; 
they, however, assembled with the intention of compellii^ him to 
do so. They now demand that he shall be deposed imless he 
make a thorough reform in the laws, and give good security that 
he keep the peace inviolate. They tendered bade to him the 
homage which they had previously made ; and the barons took up 
the cause of the knights. They then arranged themselves in seven 
troops, and took possession of the lands, cities, farms, and castles. 
They who sided with the king ravaged the lands of these persons ; 
and thus innumerable evils occurred on both sides ; and the longer 
this state of hostility continued, the more men were slain, the 
greater was the loss which was incurred. At last a form of peace was 
concluded on both sides ; for although they earnestly desired that 
the older laws of the realm should be restored to them, they were 
unwilling to lay violent hands upon the kii^ ; and they demanded 
that the king should give his entire assent to this. But he refused 
to do so at first, and left them ; but at length he was compelled to 
make every concession ; and, in order to secure his own safety 
from the troops, he promised that he would observe whatever they 
required of him. Thus the entire treaty was reduced to writing 
by both parties, and they requested that the king would affix his 
seal to it. He quietly promised that he would do so ; yet, after 
con^derable delays, he expressed his wish that they should meet 
him at Oxford. Having assembled his troops, the king k^ his 
appointment, but there he gainsaid the articles of peace. Here- 
upon the barons departed in great indignation, and so the last 
mistake was worse than the former. 

The king hereupon adc^ted a new mode of doing mischief; 
instigated by some Achitophel (by whom it is not known), he 

^ Theie two pAmgraphs are ^e tranilation of a poetioal Thapeody ; beooa tlit 
obscurity of their diction. 



A.0.1S15.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 159 

resolTed that he would entirely eradicate from England all those of 
English descent, and that he would give the country to be per- 
p^^oally held by foreign nations. But He who is the King of 
kings and Lord of lords, and whose decree can never be set aside, 
had decreed otherwise ; for He in his mercy freed the innocent 
ones, and wonderfully brought to nought the counsel of Achitophel. 
For while one of the king's party, who was in the parts beyond the 
sea, whose name was Hugh de Boves, had assembled a very large 
fleet of ships, and had filled them to overflowing with a countless 
number of evil-disposed persons, it happened that when, upon the 
sixth of the kalends of October [26th Sept.], this same Hugh, with 
all that multitude of ships, had sailed for England, at the command 
of the great King the waves of the sea arose ; and not only did the 
leader of this piece of wickedness sink like lead to the bottom of 
the raging billows, but all those wicked ones by whom he was 
accompanied were suddenly drowned, so that out of the entire 
numbed of the ships scarce one reached the shore for which they 
were bound. The greedy sea- waves swaUowed up as well the sailors 
and the passengers as the ships themselves ; and only a very few 
were saved ; who, after a long-continued exposure to the violence 
of the tempestuous winds, with great difficulty escaped the great 
danger of their critical position. And it is beUeved that they 
would not even then have been delivered, had not they repented 
tbem of the crime which they had planned, and with sincere com- 
punction of heart had sought forgiveness of Him who rules over 
the powers of the deep, and whom the sea and the winds obey. 
For with tears and weeping they made a vow that they would 
undertake the holy journey to Jerusalem, and they mutually received 
upon their own bodies die sign of the holy cross. Blessed be 
God over all ! who did not refrain from inflicting merited punish- 
ment upon the misbelievers and the obstinate, and yet who calmed 
down the power of the mighty deep for those who repented them- 
selves and entreated for pardon. 

A general council was celebrated at Rome for fifteeen days from the 
kalends of November [1st Nov.]. By the inspiration of this council 
many constitutions were decreed for the rooting out of vices, and 
for the destruction of heretics, for the confirmation of the faithful* 
and for the improvement of manners. Among other matters it 
was decided, and (with the approval of the council) strictly enjoined 
by the apostolic authority, that all persons who enjoyed ecclesiastical 
benefices, as well subjects as prelates, for the next three years 
should contribute the full twentieth part of all their ecclesiastical 
revenues for the assistance of the Holy Land, to be collected by 
tliose persons whom the pope, in his wisdom, should appoint for 
this purpose. Exception, however, was made in favour of some 
religious bodies, and of those individuals who intended personally 
to go to the Holy Land. And that they might not appear to be 
laying an intoleraUe burden upon the shoulders of others, the lord 
pope himself, and all the cardinals, paid a tithe of all their 
revenues. Besides this, the lord pope awarded thirty thousand 
pounds to the crusaders, and on another occasion three thousand 



160 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.D.1215L 

marks! It was ruled that in the second year afterwards, that is to 
say, in the year one thousand two hundred and seventeen from our 
Lord's incarnation, all they who were marked with the cross should 
assemble from all parts of the globe upon the kalends of June 
[1st June], and meet in the realm of Sicily. It is to be remarked, 
.that in this same council (in which pope Innocent the third pre- 
sided, in the eighteenth year of his pontificate, and which is called 
that of Constantine,) there were present four hundred and twelve 
bishops, among whom were two of the chief patriarchs, those, 
namely, of Constantinople and Jerusalem. The patriarch of 
Antioch was unable to attend, being at that time confined at home 
by a severe illness ; but in his stead he sent his representative, the 
bishop of Antidore. The patriarch of Alexandria did his best« for 
as he himself was under the power of the Saracens, he sent his 
brother, who was a deacon. There were seventy-one primates 
and metropolitans, and more than eight hundred abbots and priors. 
No exact enumeration was made of the archbishops, bishops, 
abbots, priors, and chapters who were absent. There were present, 
legates from the king of Sicily, at that time the emperor-elect of 
the Romans, from the emperor of Constantinople, the king of 
France, the king of England, the king of Hungary, the king of 
Jerusalem, the king of Cyprus, and the king of An^on. So enor- 
mous was the multitude of other princes, nobles, representatives of 
cities, and others, that one bishop died, being stifled in the crowd. 
When this fact reached the ears of our lord the pope, he swore by 
St. Peter that this man should have a tomb of marble. 

On the sixteenth of the kalends of November [17th Oct.], one 
of the best granges of Cupre was burnt down by occasion of a 
candle which had been badly and carelessly placed. It was full of 
com, and in it was a convert, the keeper of the grange. 

On the fourteendi of the kalends of November [19th Oct.], 
Alexander, by the grace of God king of the Scots, and his entire 
army, began to lay siege to the castle of Norham. After having 
continued the siege for forty days, and finding that he made no 
progress, he withdrew. On the eleventh of the kalends of November 
[22d Oct.], our lord Alexander, the king of the Scots, received the 
homage of the barons of Northumberland at Felton. On the 
nones of November [6th Nov.], died PhiUp de Valoniis, the 
chamberlain of our lord William, king of Scots, who was conveyed 
to Melrose, and honourably interred diere in the chapter-house of 
the monks. In this same year, in the general chapter at Citeaux, 
Hugh, abbot of Melrose, resigned his office, and was succeeded by 
William, abbot of Holmcultram, on the sixteenth of the kalends 
of December [16th Nov.]. 

Upon occasion of the general council, William Malvecine, bishop 
of St. Andrew's, Walter, bishop of Glasgow, Brice, bishop of Moray, 
and Henry, abbot of Kelso, set out from Scotland for the court 
of Rome. Two of these persons, that is to say, the bishop of 
Moray and the abbot of Kelso, returned to Scotland upon the ter- 
mination of the council ; the bishop of Glasgow returned the third 
year afterwards; the bishop of St. Andrew's at the commencement 



A.D11210.] CHRONICLE OP BCELROSE. 161 

of the fourth year. The other prelates did not personally attend 
at Rome, but sent their legates. 

A.D. 1216. In the month of January, there occurred an unpre- 
cedented destruction of vills and towns in Northumberland, and in 
the southern parts of Scotland. For king John having heard that 
Alexander, the king of Scots, had laid daim to Northumberland, 
and had received tibe homage of the barons of that district, took 
with him his mercenary soldiers and marched towards Scotland 
with great energy. As soon as his advance was known to the 
barons of Yorkshire, who had taken an oath against him, they were 
so terrified that they fled for protection to the king of Scotland; 
and when they reached his presence they did homage to him, and 
one and all of them swore fealty to him, and gave him security 
upon the reliques of the saints, upon the third of the ides of 
January [1 1th Jan.], in the chapter-house of the monks of Mehrose. 
The king of En^and followed up upon their track, and in his revenge 
devastated their viUs and towns, and estates and farms, with fire 
and sword. For these barons had themselves burnt up their own vills 
and com before the king's arrival, with the intention that when he 
came he might have no assistance from thence ; so that, between 
the two, a li^ge portion of the district was destroyed by fire. For 
the town of Were was burnt down on the third of the ides of 
January [1 1th Jan.] ; Alnwick, on the fifth of the same [9th Jan.]; 
Mitford and Morpath, on the seventh of the ides of the same 
'7th Jan.]; and on the seventeenth of the kalends of February 
16th Jan.], Roxburgh, with its surrounding villages and the larger 
portion of its outskirts. 

On the eighteenth of the kalends of February [15th Jan.], king 
John took the town and castle of Berwick, where he and his mer- 
cenary soldiers conducted themselves with unparalleled ferocity and 
inhuman tyranny; for as many men and women as these slaves of 
the devil could secure, they hung up by the joints of their 
hands and feet, and subjected them to torments of sol kinds, but of 
the greatest intensity, for the sake of plunder. It is reported that 
they took with them several Jews, to instruct them in this wicked- 
ness. Marching onwards, he burnt down Haddington on the third 
day ; and he committed to the devouring flame Dunbar and other 
towns in that same district. Upon his return, his mercenaries, these 
ministers of the devil, pillaged the abbey of Coldingham, and after- 
wards burnt down the town of Berwicx, the king himself setting 
them the example. Report says, that he himself, with his own 
hand, disgraceftilly fired the house which had sheltered him, con- 
trary to ^e habit of a king. 

In this same year, in the month of February, Alexander, king of 
the Scots, advanced with the whole of his powerful army upon the 
track of the king of England, and ravaged with fire and sword his 
land as far as CarUsle. But upon this occasion it is to be lamented 
that certain Scots, devils rather than soldiers, contrary to the 
wishes and expressed commands of the king, (who had given firm 
peace to men of religion,) in their accursed and sacrilegious mad- 
ness, pillaged the house of Holmcultram of everything upon which 

VOL. IV. M 



162 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. a 1210. 

they could lay their hands, — ^holy books, vestments, chalices, horses 
and cattle, utensils and garments ; so that they even stripped to the 
skin a monk who was lying at his last gasp in the infirmary, taking 
bom him the very rags ^ich he had about him ; nor did they 
exhibit any reverence to the holy altars. This sin, however, did not 
pass unpunished ; for, as they were returning with their prey, there 
were drowned in the river Eden, more than one thousand nine 
hundred Scotchmen in one short hour of the day, as nearly as can 
be reckoned. This was the merited punishment of God. 

In the same year, in the month of July, the king of Scotland 
inarched towards Carlisle with the whole of his army, excepting the 
Scots from whom he took a money payment; and having laid 
siege to this town, it surrendered to him upon the sixth of the 
ides of August [8th Aug.]. At this time, however, he did not 
obtain possession of the castle. Advancing onwards from that 

Eoint, he marched with the whole of his army through the verj 
eart of England as far as Dover, to meet Louis, the son of the 
Ut^ bf FVance; king John all this time looking on in indignation. 
Louis had disembarked upon the second of the nones of May [6th 
May] this year, from a large fleet which he had brought over at the 
instigation and for the assistance of the barons of Ei^land. At the 
very commencement of this expedition, Eustace de Vesd/ the 
king's son-in-law, was killed at the si^ of Bernard Castle. 

It must not be forgotten, that as soon as Louis arrived in 
England, William Longsword, eari of Salisbury,' the brother of the 
king of England* and many others, deserted the king and passed 
over to Louis ; but the rebellion which afterwards broke out made 
it dear that they did this more in treachery than in love, more for 
the sake of injury than assistance. For at this time, when Alex- 
ander, king of the Scots, was residing in England, he did homage to 
this Louis at London' (as is reported), in the same form as the 
barons*of England had done to him; and Louis himself and all the 
barons of England swore upon the holy gospels, that they would 
never enter into any agreement for peace or truce with the king of 
England, unless the king of the Scots were included. Subsequent 
occurrences, however, will prove that this was not observed to 
the full. 

In this same year, upon the seventeenth of the kalends of August 
[16th July], our lord pope Innocent the third of holy memory de- 
p^iTted from this world, for the Lord had called him, being in the 
nineteenth year of his pontificate. His successor was Honorius, 
bishop and cardinal, who succeeded on the thirteenth of the kalends 
of August [20th July], a man venerable as well from his learning as 
his maturity of age. 

In this same year died Henry, abbot of Rievaux, at Ruhford, and 

' See Dugd. Baron. L 08. He had xnairied Matf^aret^ a naimral dattg^ter of 
kii^ William, concerning which lady see a ctirioai atoiy in Enyghton, ooL 2422. 

* William, third earl of Salisbury, was a natural son of Henry the second, by 
Rosamond his concubine. 

s The original of the words " at liondon " is added by a hand of the fifteenth 
ocgoituryt instead of "as is reported," which occurs twice, by mistake, in the 
manuscript 



JLalSia.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 163 

there he was buried ; he was succeeded in the rule of that establish- 
ment by William, abbot of Melrose, upon the second of the kalends 
of Sq>tember [31st Aug.]. In his stead Ralph, the cellarer of 
Mdrc^, was elected to be the abbot of that house on the eighteenth 
of the kalends of October [14th Sept.], and he received the bene- 
dicdon at the hands of Hugh, bishop of Dunkeld, on the third of 
the kalends of October [29th Sept.], at Melrose. Richard, abbot of 
Newbottle, resigned his office on the sixth of the kalends of August 
[27th July], and was succeeded by Adam, the cellarer of the same 
house, on the thirteenth of the kalends of September [20th Aug.]. 
On the seventeenth of the kalends of November [17th Oct.], in 
the same year, died John, king of England, at Newark ; his bowels, 
having been removed, were buried at the abbey of Crokestun, but 
his body was conveyed to Worcester, and there interred in the 
monastery. 

At this time tlie pope sent into England a cardinal a latere, 
whose name was Galo, that he might render assistance to king 
John and his heirs, in the protection of their liberties against 
Louis and all other the kill's enemies, having received the papal 
authority for this purpose. This he did with the greatest constancy. 
For upon the death of the king (as we have mentioned] Galo took 
with him Henry, archbishop of Dublin, and Peter, bishop of Win- 
chester, and they crowned as king the late king's son and heir, 
Henry, a lad of seven years of age, at Worcester. Upon the same 
day the abbot of Westminster and the prior of Canterbury appealed 
to the apostolic see against the said cardinal, for the preservation of 
their liberties, touching the matter of the coronation. Henry 
of Westminster objected, because the ceremony had been performed 
die^riiere than in Westminster ; and the prior of Canterbury pro- 
tested that no one ought to have officiated except the lord arch- 
bishop of Canterbury ; and that thus the liberties and privileges of 
their respective churches had been violated. Because they thus 
appealed, the cardinal excommunicated them both ; but they did 
not consider themselves as exconmiunicated persons, nor did they 
withdraw the appeals which they had made. Next Galo pronounced 
the sentence oi excommunication against the said Louis and all his 
supporters, and declared that it proceeded from the pope himself; 
moreover he included in this same sentence our lord the king 
of the Scots and all his nobility, and did not hesitate to place the 
lands of all of them under interdict. And yet this sentence of 
excommunication and interdict was not immediately observed in 
England, nor was it denounced in Scotland until nearly the ensuing 
year; for the cardinal (in virtue of the apostolic authority with 
which he was invested,) entirely absolved all those who had done 
homage or any fealty to the said Louis, provided they would return 
to th^ own lawful lord, the new king. 

In the same year, Conrad, abbot of Clairvaux, was translated 
to be abbot of Citeaux ; and in his stead William, * abbot of the 
monastery of Nargun, was elected abbot of Clairvaux. 

In the western part of Scotland, which is called Galloway, there 

> See Oall. Christ ir. S04. 
M 2 




164 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. (a-IX 1216. 

appeared a change in the form of the moon; marvellous beyond 
l)elief, and such as our age had not hitherto witnessed. WilUam, 
abbot of Glenluce, a man worthy of all credit, and a monk of holy 
conversation, sent an account of it in writing to the lord prior and 
the holy convent of Melrose ; and afterwards, when he visited Mel- 
rose, he gave a detailed narrative of what had happened, correspond- 
ing in every respect with his previously-written communication. I 
was present among the other auditors, and made the request, and 
heard and wondered at his narrative. His letter was to this effect : — 

" To those venerable persons in Christ, our lord A. the 
prior of Melrose, and to the convent of the same place, brother 
William, the unworthy minister of the poor in Christ who are at 
Glenluce, wishes eternal health in the Lord. 

"As it is impossible that He who is the Truth should be 
deceived, so in like manner is it all the more certain, that what His 
mouth has predicted is in part fulfilled already, and that what still 
remains to be accomplished shall of a surety come to pass. For 
the lips of the Truth have declared that ' there shall be signs in the 
sun, and in the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the eardi distress 
of nations, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring,' etc. 
[Luke xxi. 25.] Since, then, nothing which occurs upon the globe 
happens without a cause, it is clear that the greater they are 
the greater is the cause in which they originate. I have taken care 
therefore, with all the brevity whidi I can employ, to transmit 
to you, holy brethren, an account of a great wonder, or rather 
of many and great wonders, which appeared of late in the parts of 
Gralloway. Nor should I have ventured to have communicated 
this account to men so great and so venerable, were it not that 
I have the most conclusive evidence of what I narrate, the evidence 
of those very persons who saw these wonders with their own eyes, 
and gave a truthful and detailed account of them with their own 
lips in my presence, and in the presence of many others. 

" It happened, then, that a certain convert of our order, a man 
sober, sedate, pure-minded, and of approved religion, was on a 
journey, towards the dusk of the evening upon the day of St. 
Ambrose the bishop [4th April],* the day after Palm Sunday, 
being the day before the nones of April, when the moon was 
thirteen days old, and lo! as this convert was looking at the moon, 
(which was at this time full and round,) at that very time he saw, 
as it were, a black and dusky rope cutting the moon into two 
halves. The blackness of this rope difinsed itself over that half of 
the moon which was towards the north, and made it become darker 
and duskier than the other part ; whereupon, in the twinkling of an 
eye, that half which had lost its colour appeared to cut itself off 
and separate itself from the other portion, from which it became 
detached about the eighth part of a mile; and so great was the 
violence with which that paler half of the moon was separated and 
plucked asunder from the other, that it emitted sparks, like a 

^ These dates are correct, but no eclipse of the moon occurred at this time which 
can account for the appearances detailed in the text. 



A.IX.1216.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 166 

dragon when it isk flying through the sky. Some little delay now 
occurred, after which that paler part of the moon gradually and 
slowly advanced nearer and nearer to the other half; at one time 
drawmg itself back, as if in fear, and again driven onwards, as if by 
constraint. Jttst« however, as these two parts of the moon were 
about to coalesce, a doud intervened which shrouded both of them, 
and the vision disappeared. A gust of wind, however, swept the cloud 
aside, and the moon once more emerged from under it, and now it 
appeared to have increased to the bulk of three moons ; imme- 
diately this increase in its bulk expanded itself over the whole 
heavens, and then assumed the form of a beautiful castle, the walk 
of which were amply provided with towers and battlements. At 
this sight, so unusual and so astounding, not only the convert but 
his servant also began to fear and tremble ; and this latter said to 
the former, ' Master, what is the meaning of all this ? Has the day 
of judgment arrived, think you ? ' The other answered, ' Not so, 
my son; but these things are the wonders of the Almighty God, who, 
according to his pleasure, works signs, and prodigies, and miracles.' 
The servant remarked, ' I have frequently been told that these 
changes in the moon's shape are produced by witches and magi- 
cians, and women who are enchantresses.' The other replied, ' It 
is not so, my son ; we ought rather to believe that these things 
portend something wondei^ and fearful, which is about to befal 
the race of mankind.' 

" But now the moon had put off the shape of a castle, and 
assumed that of a very large and beautiful ship ; on board of which 
there appeared only one figure, a very tall man, who seemed to be 
the sailor. This ship hoisted and spread abroad her sail, and 
so sailed away with the greatest rapidity towards Ireland, taking the 
direction of the Isle of Man. Next the moon put off the form of 
a ship and resumed that of a large castle, fearful to look upon ; and 
on this occasion there was displayed in the castle a royal standard, 
such as b borne in the army of the king when he goes forth 
to battle; and, what is more extraordinary still, the pendants 
or little streamers which hang down from the ends of the banners, 
in this which now appeared seemed to move and flutter as if by a 
breath of wind. Some little time afterwards the whole fabric 
of the castle vanished and the moon resumed her natural form and 
pursued her wonted course. Presently, however, a little dusky 
tower, provided with turrets of the smallest size, appeared upon 
the moon for a very brief space of time, and then disappeared. The 
moon seemed to have suffered some damage from these frequent 
annoyances and violent and sudden changes; she was troubled and 
saddened and distressed, and continued pale and discoloured ; at 
length, however, she recovered her former hue and became herself 
again. 

" It is for you, then, holy men, to decide whether such an un- 
usual appearance as this is, whether such a fearful portent, such an 
astounding miracle, ought to be passed over in silence. And if He, 
who created not only the moon, but the whole fabric of the 
universe, did not spare the exceeding beauty of the moon, which 



166 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. a 1217. 

is a tx-pe of the elements of the firmament, and in herself represents 
the hidden meaning of the earth and the sea, but suffered the moon 
herself to be dishonoured by undergoing a transformation so great 
and so fearful, as a warning to the whole human race — what shall 
be the fate of those persons for whose sakes these tokens were 
foreshown, if they refuse to return from the way of perdition 
in which they are walking, disregarding alike the fear of God, the 
dread of hell, and every other consideration?" 

A.D. 1217. Ridiard de Marisco was consecrated bishop of 
Durham. In the month of July in this same year, a battle 
between France and England, sudi as our times have not heard 
of, was fought at sea. For while Louis and a large number of his 
troops were residing in London, the English blockaded all the 
seaports, and guarded the sea-coasts with the greatest strictness, in 
•order that no supplies might arrive from France. The French, 
however, arrived with a large body of troops and a considerable 
fleet, and in the first engagement at sea they obtained the victory, 
and got possession of the coast, as they wished: but, God so 
deciding, a second battle having taken place in the middle of the 
ocean, the English (who had made a great levy of ships and sailors) 
were conquerors. Here they slew that arch-pirate, Eustace ^ the 
Monk, and a countless number of others, the funeral rites of 
whose bodies they entrusted to the fishes of the sea, and whose 
■exequies were celebrated by the monsters of the deep. The more 
noble of the number they kept in dose custody, in the hope of a 
firmer peace and agreement. The names of the more important of 
the captives are these. — Robert de Curtenei, William de Baris. 
Ralph de Tomellis, William de Ichri, William de Pessei, Penin de 
Johanris, Thomas de Cusei, Aelrad de Croizillis, Anselm de Ro- 
moyni. Gallon de Munceni, Nevellunus de Araz, William de 
Mariscis, and many others. Of the prisoners six score and five 
were knights, seven score and six were esquires, thirty-three were 
crossbowmen, eight hundred and thirty-three were foot soldiers. 
R. abbot of Warden, sent this calculation, and the names of die 
nobility to WiDiam, abbot of Rievaux. 

The abbey of Kilinros was founded by Malcolm, eaii of Fife, to 
which abbey the convent was sent on the seventh of the kalends 
of March [23d Feb.] from Kinlos, along with Hugh, the first 
abbot of Kilinros, who had formerly been prior of Kinlos. And 
so that convent came to Kilinros upon the fifteenth of the kalends 
of April [18th March]. 

The archbishop of Suris, and the abbots of Citeanx and Clair- 
vaux, were sent into England to estabUsh a peace between Louis 
and the new king of England, Henry. In order to preserve the 
dignity of their order, these abbots appealed to the apostolic see 
against cardinal G[ualo], because that legate demanded, by way of 
exaction, procurations from the Cistercian order, contrary to the 
privileges which had been granted to that order by the see of 

* Seo a curious historical poem upon the exploits of this pirate, entitled 
** Roman d'Eustache le Moine/* published by F. Michel, 8vo. Paris, 1884. 



A. 9. 1217.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 167 

Rome. Moreover, he had placed the monasteries of their monks 
under interdict; he had suspended their abbots and convents, and 
had declared them to be excommunicate; and furthermore he had 
caused discipline to be publicly inflicted upon their bare flesh, 
before the church-doors, because they had communicated with the 
rebels ; and this he did, having previously extorted from eadi of 
them an oath that they would submit to the judgment of the 
church, and to whatever the pope or himself shoiuSd command. 
He had also enjoined the accustomed penances to abbots and con- 
vents, and would scarce concede to thein the grace of absolution. 
Therefore it was that (as I have mentioned) they appealed against 
him, for he carried himself thus cruelly towards the Cistercian 
order; but upon this occasion they experienced no favour. For 
our lord the pope had granted to this legate a degree of authority 
hitherto unknown and unprecedented ; for he had the power, so 
to speak, of doing to the clergy throughout England, Scotland, 
and Wales, whatever entered his mind ; he might translate bishqra 
and abbots, and other prelates of churches, and derks, and depose 
them, and substitute others, and suspend and excommunicate 
thern^ and absolve them. And, what was more important still, he 
might ^prive of their privileges even the monks of the Cister- 
cian* order. 

Walter,' the abbot of the new monastery at Citeaux, died, 
during the time of the general chapter, and in his room Henry, 
prior of La Roche,' was elected. In this general chapter two 
abbots and five priors of Wales were removed from their offices, 
and banished from their own houses, on account of the excesses 
which they had committed against this said cardinal ; these were 
the abbots of Albalanda and Strata Florida. 

In the month of May, Alexander, by the grace of God the king 
of the Scots, assembled his entire army, and laid si^ to the 
castle of Midford; and after he had continued before it for a 
week, he returned home. Philip de UUecotes and H. de BaUiol 
threatened that they would have their revenge upon the king of the 
Soots, by ravaging his land. Hearing this, our lord the king col- 
lected ms entire army, that is to say, of English, Scots, and Gal- 
wegians, with the greatest expedition, upon ue third of the nones 
of July [5th July], and marched again mto Northumberland. 

The lady Eva^ at Galloway died on the third of the ides of 
June [11th June]. Helyas, formerly abbot of Rievaux, was 
elected abbot of Revesby in the month of December. 

It is reported that in the month of March in this same year a 
rebellion broke out in the island of Rie against the lord Ix)uis. 
For some of those persons who had sworn against the king of 

* It win not be foivotten that ICelrose was a foundation of this order. 

' The saoceesion of the prion of Ciieaux, as given hj the Benedictine editors 
of the Gallia Christiana^ It. 991, 992, does not agree with the statement of our 
chronicler. 

' No abbot of the name of Henry occurs in the list given in the QalL Christ. 
ziL46S. 

* Probably Eva, the wife of Roland, lord of Oalloway, and dau^ter of 
Richard de Morville, constable of Scotland. 



168 CHURCH HISTORIANS O^ ENGLAND. [a. D. 1217— 

England, that is to say, William Longsword, the brother of king 
John, and William, the younger marshal of England, and their 
adherents, unexpectedly rose against Louis in this island. But, 
by God's providence, which never deserts those who trust in Him, 
a considerable number of ships which had been sent into England 
by Philip, the king of France, the father of this Louis, at that very 
time, by a strange coincidence, touched at this island, and on their 
arrival he was delivered from custody, and his enemies were com- 
pelled to consult their own safety by flight. 

Upon the kalends of June [1st June] a battle was fought at 
Lincoln, between the supporters of Loub, the son of the king of 
France, and those who hdd with Henry, die new king of England. 
With the former sided the larger portion of the whole knighthood 
of England and France, of whom the following were the more 
illustrious: — ^The marshal of France, with his retainers; the earl of 
Perches,^ who is said to have been the uncle of this Louis, and a 
kinsman to each of the two kings, (of England, namely, and of 
France,) with his retainers; and very many others of the nobiUty 
of France, with a countless number of knights, men-at-arms, 
retainers, crossbowmen, and foot-soldiers. On Louis's side also 
were nearly all the nobles and barons of England. On the part 
of the new king Henry stood this cardinal G[ualo], who, clothed in 
his sacred robes, excommunicated, by the authority of Almighty 
God and our lord the pope, all who favoured the interests <rf 
Louis. With him were the ardibishop of York, and seven 
bishops, namely those of Worcester, Hereford, Salisbury, Lincoln, 
Bath, Exeter, and Winchester ; the two Williams, the marshals 
of England, William Longsword, earl of Salisbury, and the 
earl of Albemarl, Robert de Vipont, Brian de Insula, Geoffi'ey de 
Neville, the chamberlain of England, and Richard, the son of king 
John. So all those persons who were on the side of Louis, being 
bowed down with the heavy burden of excommunication, were 
captured in this battle by a few, not without a miracle, and im- 
prisoned in the city of Lincoln. It is much to be lamented that 
the noble earl of Perche died a cruel and a violent death in this 
battle, after having defended himself for a long time. 

On the seven^ of the ides of September [7th Sept.], in this 
same year, the general army of the whole of England was collected 
near London, as well as a considerable portion of the soldiery of 
France; and by the mediation of the cardinal G[ualo] (so freouently 
mentioned), and the nobility of the two kingdoms, a reconciliation 
was effected between Louis, ^e son of the king of France, and Henry, 
the new king of England, upon the understanding, however, that 
ten thousand pounds should be paid to this Louis, to meet the 
expenses which he had incurred. The said Louis and his fellow- 
soldiers went, ungirded and barefoot, from his pavilion to the tent 
of the cardinal, and prayed for absolution ; and this coveted abso- 
lution he at last obtained, but not until he had previously made 
oath that he would abide by the sentence of the church, and that 
within a specified period he would rid England of himself and his 

■ See L'Art» xiii. 181, ©cL Svo. 



A.])illtia.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 169 

ibllowers. As for the barons and kniehts who had been taken 
prisoners, and put into ward on either side, they were all of them 
absolved, and freed, and delivered (as were all the English) from 
the homage which they had performed to the said Louis. But 
as for the king of Scotland, he and all hb earls, and barons, 
knights and nobles, bishops and prelates of the entire realm of 
Scotland, were interdicted and excommunicated. 

In this same year Alexander, king of Scotland, collected his 
army, and advanced towards England; but when he arrived at 
Jedewurth, he heard of the peace which had been concluded 
between Louis and the king of England, and thereupon he db- 
banded his army, and remained there during the month of Sep- 
tember. Our lord Alexander, the king of Scotland, was absolved 
from the bond of excommunication by the lord archbishop of 
Yoric, and by the lord bishop of Durham, at Berwick, upon the 
kalends of December [1st Dec], by authority of the legate, who 
was resident in England, and the third day afterwards the mother 
of the said king was absolved by the lord bishop of Durham. As 
soon as the archbishop had absolved the king, he proceeded on his 
journey towards Carlisle, that he might receive the sebin of the 
castle by mandate of the king of Scotland, for the use of the king 
of En^and. At this same time, while the king was on his way 
towards England, the whole church of Scotland having been placed 
under interdict, ceased from the celebration of divine service, with 
the exception of the white monks, who still celebrated, according 
to the privil^es which they had received from the apostolic see. 
Upon his arrival at Northampton^ the king was received with the 
greatest respect, as well by the said legate as by the new king of 
En^and, and there he did homage to the king of England for the 
earldom of Huntingdon, and the other lands which his prede- 
cessors had held of the kings of England, on the Saturday next 
before Christmas-day [23d Dec.]. 

A. D. 1218. In the beginning of January, William Malvecine, lord 
bishop of St. Andrew's, returned into his own bishopric from the 
general council at Rome. About the end of the same month the 
same legate, who yet lingered in England, sent William, die prior 
of Durham, and master Walter de Wisebech, the archdeacon of 
the East Riding, to absolve the church of Scotland, its priests and 
people (with the exception of the bishops and prelates), from the 
bond of excommunication and the interdict. Commencing at 
Berwick, they went round Scotland, and perambulated it. They 
arrived at Edinburgh to visit the king, and there they received 
from him and his people an oath that they would abide by the 
judgment of the church, and the commands of our lord the pope. 
Thence they went into the very heart of Scotland, even as far as 
Aberdeen. On their return they paid a visit at Lundors, and there 
the bedchamber in which the prior and his monks were asleep 

* It appears from the Patent Rolla, 2 Hen. III., that Alexander had a safe-conduct 
dated at Northampton, 12th Deo., for his return into his own kingdom; writs 
wero also addnesed to the sheri£b of no less than ten countiM in England, com- 
manding them to gire him seisin of the lands and tenements in their jurisdiction 
which lud formerly belonged to earl Darid. 



170 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENQIAND. !▲.]». ISIS— 

cai^t fire through the carelessness and wasteful expenditure of 
the guestmasters. The prior was nearlv suffocated with the fire 
and smoke, and hardly escaped with his ufe : he did not long sur- 
vive this accident* for, though he reached Coldinghs^m, he was then 
nearly exhausted, and he died there upon the second of the ides of 
May [14th May]. 

In this same year, at the Incarnation of our Lord [25th March], 
master W[alter] de Wisebech, in virtue of the authority delegated 
to him by the said legate, commanded that all the monks of the 
Cistercian order throughout Scotland should wholly cease from the 
celebration of divine service. These abbots, that is to say, Ralph, 
abbot of Melrose, Adam of Newbottle, Alexander of Cupre, 
Ralph of Kinlos, and Hugh of St. Serfs, having placed all that 
they had under the peace of God, and the protection of our lord 
the pope, went to the said legate at York, where, after many 
prayers, and through the intercession of many siq)pliant8, they 
obtained for themselves (but with difficulty) the favour of abso- 
lution. In the meantime this same W[alter] de Wisebech, along 
with numerous clerks and prelates, held a council at Berwick on 
Palm Sunday [8th April] and the day following, in which lie de- 
nounced as excommunicate the said monks within the realm of 
Scotland, and all who communicated with them. But these monks 
did as they had done before ; they appealed to the presence of our 
lord the pope, as well against the said legate as against W[alt£r]; 
and renewing the appli^tion which had been made by the loid 
abbot of Citeaux for the int^ity of the order, they considered 
that denunciation as invalid. When he heacd this, the said legate 
grew exceeding wrathful, and swore to the prelates who were in 
company with him that he would show no &vour whatever either 
to them or their convents, until be should have been assured by 
the testimony of their bishops or deans that these very convents had 
submitted to the interdict. Upon the receipt of letters from their 
abbots, the monks refrauned for some time from either celebrating 
divine service, or from entering the church; until, by the com- 
mand of the legate, they received absolution at the hand of lord 
'W[illiam], bishop of St. Andrews, they having first made oath that 
they would abide by the judgment of the churdi, and the commands 
of our lord the pope ; their order and privileges being saved. 

In the same year, in the month of May, Stephen, archUahop 
of Canterbury, returned from the general council, and reached 
England; and on his arrival all rejoiced as if he had been an angel 
of peace, and an affectionate father and pastor, and again and again 
they sung, " Blessed be he who cometh in the name of the Lord." 

This year, upon the departure from England of the said G[ualo] 
the legate, there came thither one Pandulf, a clerk of the see of 
Rome, at that time the legate appointed for England, and bishop- 
elect of Norwich. W[illiam], archdeacon of Buckingham, was 
elected bishop of Worcester. The bishop of Brechin died, and was 
succeeded by Gregory, the archdeacon of the said bishopric. 
In the same year died Otho, the emperor of Germany, and was 
succeeded by Frederick, called the Child of Apulia. The earl of 



A.B.1S19.} CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 171 

Bargondy died also; and Simon, earl of Montfort, was killed. May 
their souk rest in peace ! 

On the third of the nones of October [7th Oct] died H^nry, 
abbot of Kelso, in whose place Richard, the prior of the same 
house, succeeded on the fourteenth of the kalends of November 
[19th Oct]. In the same year nearly all the abbots of England, 
Wales, and Scotland, set out for the general chapter at the com- 
mand of the lord abbot of Citeaux, as they had to discuss matters 
of importance. From this chapter the lord of Citeaux, and he of 
Clairvauz,and seven others, their fellow-abbots, proceeded to Rome, 
there to lay their complaint of the injuries done to their order 
b¥ the said cardinal G[ualo] ; and there they fully obtained their 
ooject against the said cardinal, by the help of God, and the assist- 
ance of His mother the ever Virgin Mary, the advocate and especial 
patroness of that order. Moreover, upon this very occasion the 
same Coorad, abbot of Citeaux, was elected and consecrated by 
the pope as bbhop of Portua, and furthermore was made a car- 
dinal, to the honour of God and our order, and as a token of 
the defeat of that same cardinal G[ualo]. He was succeeded in 
the office of abbot of Citeaux by Gaucher,' abbot of Longpont. 
There set out from Scotland for the apostolic see, three bishops 
/(^lowing ; namely, Walter, bishop of Gla^ow, Brice, bishc^ of 
Moray, and Adiun, bishop of Caithness, to procure their abso- 
lution. They returned in the following year. 

A.D. 1219. Adam de Cotville died. William de Valoniis died 
at Keiso, and his body was carried to Melrose (contrary to the 
wishes of die monks of that house), and there honourably buried 
in the chapter-house of the monks, near the burial-place of his 
father. G.' Avenel died, and his body was interred in the same 
chapter-house. In the kalends of June [Ist June] died Ralph, 
abbot of Melrose, and he was succeeded in the government of the 
house by Adam, abbot of Newbottle, on the eighth of the ides of 
August [6th Aug.]. Richard, master of the converts of Newbottle, 
succeeded him. Henry, abbot of Newminster, died at Pipewell, 
and was succeeded by Robert, the master of the converts of the 
same house. 

That celebrated city of the pagans, Damietta by name, was 
taken by Christ alone, after having been besieged for nearly three 
years by the Christian army, and it was entrusted, by a great 
miracle, to the keeping of the Christians on the nones of Novem- 
ber [5th Nov.]. 

How Damietta was taken, a.d. 1219. 

" H.,* the humble master of the house of the Teutonic 
knights in Jerusalem, sends greeting to the reverend Cardinal 
L. by the title of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. 

" Let it be known to your eminence, that Almighty God has 

* Walter or Qidcher de Ochiee, concemmg whom see QaU. ChriBt iv. 992. 

' This WM probably Qervaae Avenel ; coDceming whom see ICorton's MoDMiic 
Aonala, p. 274; and Furdun, ii 43. 

' Herman de Salza waa grand master of the Teatonie on^er at this time. 
L'Art, XTL 473, ed. 8vo. 



172 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [iuO. 1210^ 

vouchsafed to be merciful to the Christian army, which had been 
long worn out, and has wonderfully and mercifidly delivered up to 
those who are in exile for His Name the city of Damietta, without 
any wound being inflicted or battle fought, so that this cannot be 
attributed to the deserts of any one, but solely to His own glory. 
Know, then, that God's mercy wrought in this open manner for us 
about the fore-named city. Such a terrible mortality broke out 
among its inhabitants, that the living could not bury the dead. The 
survivors were so oppressed with the burden of disease, that when 
we first gained an entrance into the city we found more than three 
thousand human corpses lying in the street, like so many dead 
dogs. Our men, during the silence of midnight, were admitted 
into the city by the connivance (as we believe) of some of the garri- 
son ; and the legate sent his messengers, who secured many of the 
towers, and took prisoners a large body of the infidek. Many others 
took refuge in the towers which were more stron^y fortified, and 
waited therein until day should dawn. And at sunrise, upon the 
nones of November [5th Nov.], all the Saracens in Damietta sur- 
rendered themselves, and gave up (entirely, but unwillingly) the 
city into the power of the Christians. In the confusion incident 
upon the first taking possession of the city, many evil-disposed per- 
sons got in, and privately carried away an enormous sum of money. 
The leaders of the army perceiving what great things God had done, 
by common consent agreed that they would collect into one mass 
the whole of the gold and silver ; and the lord legate excommuni- 
cated all who kept back any portion of it, unless he repented by 
making restitution thereof. We are not sufficiently well informed 
to specify the exact amount of this money ; for when this present 
letter was being written, the sum total had not been calculated. But 
the Saracens whom we have captured tell us (what we ourselves know 
by inspection) that the amount of treasure which has been dis- 
covered is incalculable; and the general wish is, that it should 
be divided among the army at large. We are apprehensive that the 
love of this money will lead to much theft. We have also to in- 
form you that before the city of Damietta was taken, the citizens 
declared that they were so exhausted that they could no longer 
hold out. The soldan, however, encouraged them in friendly 
manner, promising assistance, to render which he exposed his 
troops to considerable danger. Two days before the surrender 
of the city, he sent five hundred picked men from his army, and 
attempted to throw them into it. When they arrived from the 
soldan's army, they wished to pass through our troops, near the 
engine which is called the Trebuchet of St. John, but God's pro- 
vidence caused them to miss their way. At that part of the siege 
which was under the care of the king of Jerusalem, two hundred 
men, armed with swords and scimitars, attempted to force their 
way into the town, and they put to flight the watchers who were 
on duty at the fosse where they wished to enter ; for the king and 
his soldiers were spending that night on the sand. God's grace 
assisting us, the alarm grew stronger ; and all the pilgrims rushing 
to the spot, one hundred and forty of these assailants were killed. 



A.1I. 1821.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 173 

forty taken prisoners, and only one hundred and twenty entered the 
dty. Their companions were slain, and they, having been cap- 
tared the third day afterwards in the town, are henceforth con- 
demned to perpetual imprisonment. Such of the others as escaped 
imprisonment and the sword returned to the soldan, and told him 
what had happened. On the night which followed the day upon 
which we took Damietta, the army of the soldan struck its tents and 
removed further up the Nile; but we know not where they now 
are, or what are their plans. 

" We have further to acquaint you, that previous to the capture 
of Damietta, the soldan's messengers had a conference with us, and 
expressed their willingness to give up to us the whole of the Holy 
Lsmd, excepting only the two castles of Crac and Muntreal, and 
even for them they are ready to pay an annual rent to the Chris- 
tians, as long as peace should continue. Moreover, that all the 
Christian captives ' " 

A.D. 1220. On the nones of April [5th April] died Richard, 
abbot of Newbottle, and was succeeded by Richard, the prior of the 
same house. On the morrow of the octaves of Peter and Paul 
[7th July] the reliques of the blessed Thomas the martyr were trans- 
lated ; and in the parts on this side of the sea it was commanded 
that this day should be held as a feast. Upon the fourth of the 
nones of November [2d Nov.], Ralph, abbot of Kinlos, a man full of 
good days, departed in a holy old age from this world to heaven, as 
we trust ; he was succeeded in the care of his government by 
Robert, tbe first abbot of Der, in whose stead, as abbot of Der, 
was elected Alexander, prior of Kinlos. In the land of our re- 
demption, Robert Curzun' departed from this life to the land of 
divine promise, as we believe ; he was a man full of the catholic faith, 
ornamented with virtues and wisdom ; and (as those who return 
from thence report) by his intercession with God, many and great 
miracles are performed. 

A.D. 1221. Master James, a canon of St. Victor at Paris, the 

Kenitentiary of the apostolic see, the legate for Scotland and Ireland, 
eld a general council at Perth, to whidi he summoned the prelates 
of the whole realm. It continued for four days, the first of which 
was on the octaves of the Purification [9th Feb.]. 

On the Saturday next before the feast of St. John the Baptist 
[19th June], our lord Alexander, the king of Scotland, married 
at York the daughter' of John, and the sister of Henry, king 
of England; and after the nuptials had been celebrated with the 
exceeding splendour which was fitting such an occasion, he con- 
ducted her into Scotland, to the great joy of all the inhabitants of 
both kingdoms. 

On the nones of August [2d Aug.] died Richard, abbot of 
Kelso; he was succeeded by Herbert Maunsel, the secretary of that 
same house. Philip de Stichil died. 

' The letter here ends abruptly at the bottom of the folio, and the sabject is 
not resumed on the next page. 
' See Ciaoonius, iL 87. 
* See Food. L 166. Fordim (ii 48) incorrectly places this event m 1220. 



174 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.& 1221— 

In this same year, by the consent of the kings of England and 
Scotland, and by the advice of the nobility of both realms, the lady 
Margaret ^ (the daughter of William, king of Scotland, of holy 
memory, and the sister of our lord king Alexander, was given in 
marriage to Herbert de Burc,' the justiciary of England and 
Scotland. 

In this year, the famous dty of Damietta,' of which possession 
had recently been obtained by the Christians, having been too care- 
lessly and inertly defended by them, was again besieged by the 
pagans, and entirely taken out of their hands, on the eve of the 
decollation of St. John the Baptist [28th Aug.]. We do not know 
why this so happened, or by what judgment of God it was brought 
about ; more especially as m this city the beauty of the worship of 
God had already begun to be regarded. For a new bishop, who 
had been ordained to that city, had an income of one thousand 
talents, and in it there were also forty canons, each of whom had 
a yearly revenue of one hundred talents. 

A.D. 1222. Brice, bishop of Moray, died, and was succeeded by 
master Andrew de Moray. Alexander, abbot of Der, died upon 
the eighth of the ides of September [6th Sept.], when he was upon 
his journey to attend the general coimcil at tne valley of the blessed 
Mary. In returning from the same chapter, Geoffrey, abbot of 
Dundrenan, died in die house of Alba-ripa. 

In this same year, that father of holy memory, and that excellent 
pastor, Adam, bishop of Caithness, formerly abbot of Melrose, and 
a true monk of the Cistercian order, together with a fellow-monk of 
his, named Serlo, a deacon of Newbotde, was permitted happily to 
attain unto the brotherhood of the heavenly citizens (as we trust), 
having passed through the triumph of manifold suffering. For as, 
while upon earth, he was allowed to become a partaker of the 
martyrdom of the saints, so may we be permitted to believe that he 
was not deprived of their society in heaven ; the more especially 
as he was content to suffer death for the sake of justice, namely, 
for the claim of tithes according to the use of ecclesiastical 
authority, and, like a good shepherd, he chose rather to lay down his 
life for his sheep than to permit the flock which had been entrusted 
to his charge to continue any longer in an inveterate error. And 
since it is the cause, rather than the suffering, which makes the 
martyr, so, in his case, the cause was plain and just, the sufiering 
most cruel ; and, therefore, to withhold from him the honour and 
the merit which he has earned would be to do him injury, the more 
especially as he, in his own person, is well known to have borne 
the sufferings of many martyrs. He endured cruel threats and 
frequent taunts; he was exposed to crushing blows and bloody 
wounds ; he endured the staves of St. James, and the stones of St. 
Stephen; and, at length, the flames of St. Laurence presented him 

^ It had previously been intended that she should manTyThiband the foarth« 
earl of Champagne (Harl. MS. 1244, No. 3), or Henry the third, king of England 
(Rot Pat. 21 Hen. IIL dorso.). 

' See Dugd. Baron, i. 694 ; Fordun, ii 44. 

' See M. Paris, p. 216, where are two letters upon this sabject. One yet more 
curious, and hith^io unprinted, occure in the Bumey MS. 851, p. 246. 



1.01 1S2S.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 175 

as a burnt-offering to the Lord. Thus he suffered martyrdom at his 
episcopal manor, which in the English tongue is called Haukirc, on 
Sonday, the third of the ides of September [11th Sept.]. After the 
flames had been extinguished, his body was discovered under a pile 
of stones, entire, though broiled with the fire and discoloured from 
the blows inflicted by the stones ; and it was committed to the 
grave, with the honour which was so fully its due, in the baptismal 
church, before the holy altar. Thus the faithful daughter received 
into the protection of her own bosom that father whom his wicked 
and unnatural sons had so cruelly put to death, there to rest until 
he shall arise in glory to a happy resurrection. 

Geofirey, abbot of Dundrainan, died, at Alba-ripa, as he was 
retoming from the general chapter. P. de Valoniis, with the 
oonsent of our lord the king, took to wife . . . . ^ the widow of 
Walter de Lindsey, but against his own will, because they were 
connected in the diird or fourth d^ee of relationship or affinity : 
wliereup<m this P. went to Rome, and (as he himself states) ob- 
tained from our lord the pope a dispensation from remaining 
in the marriage which he had contract^. Robert, archdeacon of 
Glasgow, of holy memory, died at London while on his way back 
from Rome ; and his body was honourably buried there in the ceme- 
tery of the blessed apostle Paul. He was succeeded in the archdea- 
conry by Thomas, parson of Lillisclive, who died in the same year; 
his successor was the derk Thomas, who afterwards became the 
diancellor of our lord the king of Scotland. 

A.D. 1223. Philip, king of France, being full of days, died in a 
good old age, and in the catholic faith, upon the second of the ides 
of July [14th July], in the forty-third year of his reign. I do not 
know how old he was. He left, by will, fifty thousand pounds 
(according to the calculation of Paris,) to the temple at Jerusalem, 
and other fifty thousand pounds to the hospital at Jerusalem, 
and other fifty thousand to John de Brienne, who was at that 
time king of Jerusalem ; gifts worthy of a king. Louis, his son, 
succeeded him in his kingdom, at that time a bold and manly 
kni^. Upon the kalends of February [Ist Feb.] died William, 
abbot of Rievaux, and was succeeded by Roger, abbot of Warden, 
whose office at Warden William, the prior of that place, was ap- 
pointed to fill. Robert Macussal, sub-prior of Dundrainan, was 
created abbot of that same house, on the vigil of the Epiphany 
[5th Jan.]. About the same time, Herbert, monk of Cupre, was 
made abbot of Der. Adam, abbot of Holmcultram, resigned his 
office, and was succeeded by Ralph, abbot of Jugum Dei in Ireland ; 
in whose place in Ireland was appointed John, the cellarer of 
Glenluce. 

. Jdin de Brienne, king of Jerusalem, came into England for 
the purpose of discussing various important matters with the king 
of England and his nobility, at London. Isabella, the daughter 
of William, that king of good memory, and the sister of Alexander, 
the king of Scotland, returned from the wardship of the king of 
England, being still unmarried. 

^ So in the origiiial nuunucript 



176 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.!). 1S24— 

A.D. 1224. 

A.D. 1225. 

A.D. 1226. Louis, king of France, died ; and also R[ichard] de 
Marisco, bishop of Durham. 

A.D. 1227. The venerable pope Honorius died, the father and the 
protector of the Cistercian order ; may his soul live in glory ! His 
successor was pope Gregory, who had formerly been bishop of 
Ostia. 

Upon Whitsunday [30th May], Alexander, the king of Scotland, 
invested with the arms of knighthood John the Scot, eaii of 
Huntingdon, his kinsman, being the son of earl David, as well as 
many other of the nobility, at the castle of Roxburgh. 

Thomas, who was the king's chancellor, and the archdeacon of 
Glasgow, died ; he was succeeded in the archdeaconry by master 
Hugh de Pottun ; and master Matthew Scot was made the king's 
chancellor. 

William, the son of John, the lord of Hunum, died ; his nephew, 
John de LaundeUs, succeeded him. 

A.D. 1228. Richard, bishop of Salisbury, was translated to 
Durham. Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, died. 

A.D. 1229. The abbey of St. Edward, of Balmorinac, was 
founded by king Alexander and his mother ; and the convent was 
sent thither from Melrose, with Alan its abbot, upon the day of 
St. Lucy the Virgin [13th Dec.]. There were consecrated 
Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, and Roger, bishop of London, 
and Hugh, bishop of Ely, and Robert, of Salisbury. 

A.D. 1230. Simon de Rise was elected abbot of Rufford in the 
chapter-house of Melrose, upon the day of the conversion of 
St. Paul [25th Jan.]. 

Malcolm, earl of Fife, died, and was buried in the church of 
St. Servanus, of Kilenross, of which he had been the founder. 
His nephew Malcolm, the son of his brother, succeeded him ; he 
afterwards married the daughter of Leulin. At this time' was the 
first entrance into Scotland of the Jacobin friars, and of the monks 
De Valle Olerum. Master Richard de Graunt was consecrated 
archbishop of Canterbury; and master Roger Niger, bishop of 
London ; and Roger, abbot of St. Edmund's, bishop of Ely. 

A.D. 1231. Thomas, the brother of Alan of Galloway, earl of 
Athol, died, and was buried in the abbey of Cupre. The friars 
Minors now came into Scotland for the first time. 

Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and John, earl of 
Caithness, was killed and burnt in his house ; a punishment which 
he had merited at God's hands, for he had inflicted the like injury 
upon the venerable bishop Adam. 

A.D. 1232. Walter, bishop of Glasgow, died in the twenty- 
fourth year of his episcopate ; after whom, William, the king's chan- 
cellor, was elected. William de Ramsey, the abbot of St. Servanus, 
died ; his successor was Hugh, master of the converts at Melrose, 
who was elected upon the day of the conversion of St. Mary 
[25th Aug.]. Ralph, earl of Chester, died, and was succeeded by 

> See Fordun, ii. 5S. 



4.al2S4.] CHRONICLE OF M£LROSE, 177 

his nephew, John the Scot» the earl of Huntingdon, who, a few 
years previously, had married the daughter of Leulin. 

Patrick,^ the venerable earl of Dunbar, invited his sons and 
daughters, his kinsmen and his neighbours, to spend the festival of 
our Lord's Nativity happily together. When four days had been 
thus occupied, he was seized with a severe illness, whereupon he 
summoned A. abbot of Melrose, his friend and kinsman, and 
received extreme unction and the dress of monk at his hands; 
and thus, bidding a last farewell to all, he died upon the day of St. 
Sylvester [31st Jan.] (after having held the earldom for fifty years), 
and was buried in the church of St. Mary at Hecclis. He was 
succeeded by his son Patrick, a sturdy knight, the king's' nephew. 

Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, was consecrated. 

A.D. 1233. Ermergerdis of good memory, the mother of king 
Alexander, and the queen of William, king of Scotland, died on 
the third of the ides of February [11th Feb.], after having been 
married forty-seven years ; and she was buried in the abbey of 
St. Edward, of Balmorinac, which she herself had founded. 

The church of St. Mary at Newbotel was dedicated by Andrew, 
bishop of Moray, upon the third of the ides of March [13th 
March]. Also, the church of Abberbrohoc was dedicated upon 
the eighth of the ides of May [8th May]. Also, the church of 
St. Mary of Cupre was dedicated upon the ides of May [15th 
May]. 

Gilbert, abbot of Glenluce, resigned his office in the chapter- 
house of Melrose; and there he made his profession. Alan of 
Galloway gave his daughter to John de Bailiol in marriage, and 
also his sister to Walter Biseth. 

The canon Clement, one of the order of the Friars Preachers, 
was elected to the bishopric of Dunblain, and was consecrated by 
William, bishop of St. Andrew's, on the day of the translation of 
St. Cuthbert [4th Sept.], at Wedale. Also, William, bishop of 
Glasgow, was consecrated by Andrew, bishop of Moray, on the 
Sunday after the Nativity of the blessed Mary [11th Sept.], in his 
church of Glasgow. William, abbot of Holmcultran, resigned his 
office, and was succeeded by Gilbert, the master of the converts 
of the same house. William Cumin, earl of Buwhan, the founder 
of the abbey of Der, died. 

A.D. 1234. Alan, the son of Roland, lord of Galloway, and 
constable of Scotland, died, and was buried at Dundraynan, leaving 
behind him three daughters, his heirs, and one base-born' son, 
who, during the lifetime of his father, had married the daughter of 
the king of Man. His daughters were thus married : the eldest 
married Roger de Quincy, earl of Winchester ; the second, John 
de Bayld; the husband of the third was the son of the earl of 
Albeuuurle. Among them was divided the land of this earl Alan. 
But the inhabitants of that land, preferring one master rather than 

I This was Patrick, the fifth earl of Dtinbar. Douglaa's Baronetage, ii. 16S ; 
Wyntown, L 870. 

^ This Patrick was the son of Ada, a natural daughter of king William. See 
aboTe, under the Tear 1184. 

* See Fordon, U. 60. 

VOL. IV. N 



178 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.0.1234 — 

several, went to our lord the king, With the request that he himself 
would accept the lordship of that inheritance ; but the king was 
too just to do this. Hereupon the Galwegians were angry above 
measure, and prepared for war ; moreover, they devastated with' 
fire and sword some of the royal lands contiguous to themselves ; 
an action which afterwards redounded to their own loss, as will 
presently appear. 

Walran, abbot of Dere, died ; and in his stead, Hugh, the 
venerable prior of Melrose, was elected. 

A.D. 1235. W. bishop of Whithem, died; and on the first 
Sunday in Lent [25th Feb.], Gilbert, master of the novices of 
Melrose, and formerly abbot of Glenluce, was elected bishop, as 
well by the clergy as by the entire population of Galloway, with 
the exception of the prior and convent of Whitheme. But upon 
the Sunday on which is sung " Oculi mei " [18th March], the said 
prior and his convent chose Odo, formerly abbot of Deretonsal ; * 
accompanied by whom they forthwith went to Walter de Gray, 
archbishop of York, demanding from him the office of consecration. 
They did not prevail, however, for he had heard of the former 
election. Having listened to the pleadings on both sides, he 
rejected Odo, and consecrated the aforesaid Gilbert, monk of 
Melrose, to be bishop in the cathedral church of York, upon the 
Sunday next before the Nativity of the blessed Mary [2d Sept.]. 

After Hugh, the elect of Der, had presided over that church for 
a single year, he returned to the monastery of Melrose ; and there he 
resigned his office, influenced no less by bodily infirmity than by 
the coldness of that locality. Shortly after he had been restored to 
the office of prior, he departed in faith to the Lord. Robert, a monk 
of the same house, was made abbot of Der. Robert Grostet was 
consecrated to Lincoln. Henry, king of England, married Alienor. 

In the same year, on the Sunday next before the feast of the 
blessed Mary Magdalene [15th July], our lord the king collected an 
army, and entered into Galloway. Having reached a spot which ap- 
peared at first sight to be convenient for tiie purpose, he determined 
that he would there pitch his tents, for the day was now drawing 
towards the evening. The Galwegians, however, (who had all day 
long been lurking among the mountains,) knew the place better ; 
and, trusting to their local acquaintance with its difficulties, they 
offered the king battle. In truth, the spot was filled with hc^» 
which were covered all over with grass and flowers, amongst which 
the larger portion of the royal army had involved itself. At the 
beginning of the battle, the earl of Ross, named Makinsagat,' came 
up, and attacked the enemies in the rear ; and as soon as they per- 
ceived this they took to flight, and retreated into the woods and 
mountains, but they were followed up by the earl and several 
others, who put many of them to the sword, and harassed them as 
long as the daylight lasted. On the next day the king,' acting upon 

* Probably Holywood, in GaUoway, for which this is the Celtic equiyialent. 
' Apparently Ferquha^, second earl of Ross. See Fordun, ii. 61. 
' According to M. Paris, Alexander defeated the insurgents in April 1 286; bat 
our Chronicle is probably correct in its dates. 



A.0.1285.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 179 

hb accustomed humanity, extended his peace to as many as came 
to him ; and so the surviving Galwegians, with ropes round their 
hecks; accepted his offer. The bastard T. (whom we have already 
mentioned), and Gilrodh, who incited him to his rebellion, went 
over to Ireland. 

Having obtained this victory, the king, finding that matters of 
importance demanded his presence in other parts of his realm, 
departed from this district ; but he entrusted the earl of Manetheth^ 
with the duty of reducing it to order. After the king's departure, 
certain of the Scots, kmives rather than knights, plundered the 
abbeys of that district so thoroughly, that in dieir accursed mad- 
ness, finding a monk who was at the very point of death, lying 
within the infirmary of Glenlus, they stripped him of even the 
scrap of sackcloth with which he was covered and carried it off. 
At Tungland, they killed the prior and the sacrist within the 
church ; but the Almighty did not suffer their sins to pass unpun- 
ished ; for not long afterwards that murderer was caught and 
drawn by horses at Roxburgh. 

When the Scots heard that this G[ilrodh] had returned from 
Ireland, bringing with him a fleet and a body of the Irish, toother 
with the son of one of their chieftains, they, in the midst of their 
hasty flight, arrived at a piece of water, in which many of them 
t>eri8hed by means of that accursed army. But when this G[iIrodh] 
returned from Ireland, no sooner did he reach the land, tiian he 
directed that every ship should be broken up ; using this device, to 
prevent any one of those whom he had brought with him from 
returning home again. 

As soon as these tidings reached G. bishop of Galloway, 
A. abbot of Melrose, and P. earl of Dunbar, they did not 
fiedl to extend to the son, though degenerating, the friendship in 
which they had held the father while living. The bishop and 
abbot proceeded to the district of Galloway unattended, but the 
earl was accompanied with his troops; and they informed this 
G[ilrodh] that he must either make his submission to the king, or 
engage the earl's army in battle. Perceiving his inferiority in 
numbers, 6[ilrodh] followed their advice, and ti^e king placed him 
for some time in the custody of the earl already mentioned. Being 
thus deprived of all counsel and assistance, the bastard was enforced 
to sue tor the king's peace. He was imprisoned for a short time 
in Edinburgh castle, and then the king gave him his freedom. 
After this the Irish secretly departed from the country ; and as 
they were passing by the city of Glasgow they were discovered by 
the- citizens, who unanimously sallied forth, and cut off the heads 
of as many as they could lay hands upon. They saved two of the 
oldest of the party, whom they afterwards caused to be drawn by 
horses at Edinburgh. Thus Galloway, having been at last restored 
to tranquillity, those who had inherited it took possession of their 
lands, which they divided equaUy among themselves. 

* Wftlter Comyn, second son of WiUiam, earl of Buchan, became earl of Hon- 
teth in ri^t of hia wife, the daughter of 3faarice, earl of Monteth. See 
Douglaa'a Baron. iL 228. 

N 2 



}80 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. B. 1235— 

The lady Marjory, the sister of our lord Alexander, the king of 
the Scots, was married at Berwick, upon the day of St. Peter ad 
Vincula [1st Aug.], to the earl of Pembroke. There were present 
at the marriage the king himself and the chief of the nobility of his 
realm ; and on the other side were G., the marshal of England, 
and the bridegroom, together with a large number of the English 
nobles. 

This year our lord Alexander, king of Scotland,' gave the forest 
of Ettrich to the house of Melrose, and decreed that the abbey of 
Melrose, and its four circumjacent granges, should be free of his 
forest. 

A.D. 1236. Constantine, abbot of Newbottle, resigned his office, 
and he was succeeded in it by Roger, the cellarer of Melrose. 

This same year died Gilbert, the venerable bishop of Dunkeld, 
and he was buried in the island of St. Columbanus. Geoffrey, the 
king's clerk, was elected in his stead. 

Jordan, abbot of Dundraynan, and Robert abbot of Glenluce, 
whom we have just mentioned, were deposed; and Leonius, a monk 
of Melrose, was chosen to rule Dundraynan on the day before the 
Ascension [7th May] ; and not long afterwards Michael, the prior of 
Melrose, was appointed abbot of Glenluce. Alan, the first abbot of 
St. Edward's of Balmurinauh, died on the vigil of the apostles 
Peter and Paul [28th June]. Ralph, the cellarer of the same 
house, succeeded him. 

The kings of England and Scotland had an interview ' at New- 
castle, where they discussed their affairs. 

William, bishop of Worcester, died. On the day of the Nativity 
of the blessed Mary [9th Sept.], Herbert, abbot of Kelso, laid down 
his staff and mitre upon the great altar, and in this manner bade 
adieu to the pastoral care. He was succeeded by Hugh de • . . *, 
a monk of the same place. 

A.D. 1237. Richard, bishop of Durham, of holy memory, died; 
he was the illustrious founder of the new church of Salisbury, and 
he went the way of all flesh upon the day after the festival of the 
saints Tiburtius and Valerius [15th April], being the third day of 
the week before Easter, on the first hour of the day ; and his body 
was buried in the church of the nuns of Tarent, which he had 
founded. At this present time the limbs of sick people, whatever 
be the nature of their disease, are h-equently restored to health at 
his holy tomb. 

During this year the two kings, with their queens and the nobility 
of both realms, had a meeting at York,* upon the day of St. 
Maurice [22d Sept.], and there they discussed the affairs of their 
respective kingdoms for fifteen days, in the presence of Otho, the 
legate of our lord the pope. Upon the breaking up of the con- 
ference, the king of Scotland returned home ; but the queen of 
Scotland, together with the queen of England, went onwards to 

* An extract from the donation charter is printed in Morton's Monastic Annals, 
p. 278. 

> See Feed. i. 221, and especially M. Paris, pp. 295, 296. 
' The name is erased from tiie MS., but it was MaunseL 

♦ See Feed. i. 233 ; M. Paris, p. 805 ; Fordim, ii. 65. 



A.D. 1289.1 CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 181 

Canterbury, for the sake of praying there. She died in the neigh- 
bourhood of London, as will presently appear. 

Gilbert, abbot of Holmcoltran, died at Canterbury, on his way 
home from the general chapter; and he was succeeded by John, 
the abbot of Jugum Dei : whereupon Nicolas, the prior of Jugutn 
Dei, took upon himself the pastoral care of that house. 

A. D. 1238. Master Hugh de Potton, archdeacon of Glasgow, 
died; and after his decease the archdeaconry was divided; for 
master Matthew de Habirden assumed the title of archdeacon of 
Glasgow, and master Peter de Alingtun was styled archdeacon 
of TTievidale. 

William, abbot of Dunfermelin, died, and was succeeded by 
Geoffrey, the prior of the same house. 

The lady Johanna,^ queen of Scotland, was attacked by a severe 
illness when in the neighbourhood of London, where she died, on 
the 4th of the nones of March [4th March], in the arms of her 
brothers Henry, king of England, and R[ichard], duke of Cornwall, 
after having received the sacraments of the church. She died 
childless. Her brothers buried her body, with great grief and with 
equal magnificence, in the church of the nuns of Tarent. 

William Malevicine, bishop of St. Andrew's, died, and David de 
Bemam was elected to the bishopric. The abbot of Clairvaux 
died ; and John, abbot of Citeaux, resigned his pastoral office, there 
being no small discord in the order. Peter, bishop of Winchester, 
died. 

In this year there broke out a lamentable war between our lord 
pope Gregory and the emperor Frederick, sumamed the Youth of 
Apulia, between whom the holy church is reported to have en-* 
countered many a storm in our times. 

During thb year the intelligence reached our country for the 
first time, respecting the devastations committed in many lands by 
the accursed army of the Tartars, respecting the truth of which we 
shall have more to say presently. 

A.D. 1239. Gilbert, bishop of Aberdeen, died, and was suc- 
ceeded by Ralph de Lamley, abbot of Haberbrothoce. Roger, abbot 
of Rievaux, resigned his office, and his successor was Leonius, 
abbot of Dundraynan and monk of Melrose. Richard, prior of 
Melrose . . . .* 

Alexander, the most noble king of Scotland, took to wife the 
lady Mary, the daughter of the illustrious Ingeran de Cuchi, on the 
ides of May [15th May], being Whitsunday, at Roxburgh . . . .* 
and the lord Herbert was compelled by the command of Otho, the 
legate of our lord the pope, to resume the office which he had so 
unadvisedly relinquished. 

Edward, the eldest son of the king of England, was bom on the 
day before the kalends of June [3 1st May]. Richard, prior of 
Melrose, was elected to the government of the house of Dun* 
drajrnan. 

Otho— cardinal deacon by the title of St. Nicolas in Carcere 

* See M. Paris, p. 816. * This sentence in imperfect in the MS. 

' A ooDsiderable erasure here oociirs ia the MS. 



182 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.!!. 128&-r- 

Tulliano, and the legate of the apostolic see — came into Scotland, 
about the feast of St. Matthew the apostle and evangelist [21st 
Sept.] ; and he being at Melrose upon the eve of St. Dionysius 
[8th Oct], the before-mentioned H. was elected, for the second 
time, abbot of Kelso, in his presence ; for his predecessor Herbert 
(a man worthy of all praise for his life and conversation), beii^ now 
full of years, had of his own free will resigned the pastoral office. 
The same Otho held a council at Edinburgh, upon the morrow of 
St. Luke the evangelist [19th Oct.], and depaited from Scotland 
after the feast of Ail Saints [1st Nov.]. 

Henry, abbot of Jeddeworth, being far advanced in years, resigned 
the pastoral charge on account of his bodily infirmity, being suc- 
ceeded therein by Philip, a canon of the same hous^. 

This year the bones of the venerable Adam, bishop of Caithness, 
were removed from the spot in which they had been buried after 
his martyrdom ; * and having been conveyed to his episcopal see, 
they were there honourably interred, it is reported that many 
miracles were performed at their removal. 

A.D. 1240. The venerable Leonius, abbot of Rievaux, died on 
the sixth of the ides of January [8th Jan.] ; he was succeeded as 
abbot, after Easter, by Adam de Tilletai. 

In the same year, upon St. Brice's day [22d Jan.], David de 
Bemam was consecrated in his see by William, bishop of Glasgow. 
Walter, abbot of Driburgh, resigned his office ; and John, a canon 
of the same house, succeeded him. L[lewellyn], king of Wales*, 
died, and was succeeded by his son David. 

John de Normanville oied; and Alexander, abbot of Cupre, 
resigned his pastoral care, being succeeded therein by Gilbert, a 
monk of the same house. Joceiine, bishop of Bath, died. The 
bishop of Norwich also died, and was succeeded by William de 
Raley. Master Robert de Bigham, bishop of Salisbury, died; also 
master Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and Boniface suc- 
ceeded. Alexander, bishop of Chester, also died, and was succeeded 
by Hugh de Patishil. 

Moreover, our lord pope Gregory enjoined that some bishops 
from out of every realm which professed the Christian faith, should 
attend at Rome, and appear personally before him on the Blaster 
next ensuing [3 1st March, 1241]. Tliere were summoned from 
Scotland, by name, the lord bishop of Glasgow, and David, the lord 
bishop of St. Andrew's, who, setting out upon their journey, left 
this our land at Advent [2d Dec], while many lamented at their 
departure. 

Greoffirey, abbot of Dunfermelin, died ; and Robert, a monk of 
the same house, succeeded him. 

In this same year the bones of the abbots of Melrose, which had 
been deposited at the entrance of the chapter-house, were taken up 
and buried with greater solemnity in the eastern part of the said 
building. The bones, however, of our venerable father Walleve 
were not removed, for when his tomb was opened it was discovered 
that his body was reduced to dust: those who were present carried 

1 8eeA.D. 1222, p. 174. 



A.B.124L] CHRONICLE OP MELR06R. 183 

off a few of the smaller bones, and the residue remained in peace. 
One of those who was a witness of this was a knight oi good repu- 
tation, called William/ the son of the earl, the nephew of our lord 
the king. By his entreaties he secured one of the teeth, by which 
(as he afterwards stated) many sick persons were cured. 

A.D. 1241. It was reported that numerous miracles were wrought 
at the tomb of Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury. Walter, the son 
of Alan the younger, died. 

After having been for a long time deprived of a pastor, the church 
of Durham at length received master Nicolas die Famham as its 
bishop: he was a man advanced in years, and had been the queen's 
physician; and thus, from being a physician of the body, he became 
a physician of souls. 

William, earl of Albemarle, died. Also Gilbert, earl marshal of 
England, died, leaving no issue. 

William, lord bishop of Glasgow, and David, lord bishop of 
St. Andrew's, returned home, in company with the bishops of 
France and England, having previously lodged an appeal against 
the legates who had been their guides ; for they affirmed that they 
could not reach the apostolic see without having incurred the 
danger of being killed. Upon their return home, their legates, 
along with many others, including several religious persons of high 
rank, went bade by sea. And since it would be tCNlious were I to 
introduce all the details, I have thought it better to insert here 
a c(^y of the letter which the lord of Citeaux sent to the abbot of 
Savigny from the emperor's prison : 

" The abbots of Citeaux,* of Clairvaux,' and of Pietas Dei pa 
Pi^t^ Dieu],* send greeting to the venerable father of Savigni.* 

" We have to inform you, that in our anxiety to escape from 
danger, we have miserably fallen into the hands of the emperor's 
sailors, who first pillaged us, without mercy, of everything we pos- 
sessed, and then, after having been exposed to many miseries at 
sea for a whole week, they triumphantly carried us away, naked 
and shoeless as we were, to the city of Pisa, along with two. hundred 
galleys of which they had plundered the men of Genoa. At this 
present time we are suffering a miserable confinement in the castle 
of St. Minax, which*b styled the Emperor's Chamber, and this by 
the imperial commands. Our companions the monks and converts 
are also in prison at Pisa; they are all safe (thanks be to God's 
grace !). with the exception of the notary of the lord abbot of 
Citeaux, who was drowned in the sea, while we looked on, but were 
unable to render any assistance. There are with us in the same 
condemnation, the lord legate, namely, he of Prseneste and 
Gregory (these two are kept in chains), the archbishops of Bor- 
deaux and Mithanensis, the bishops of Cartomog, Agde, Noyon, 

' Probably William, the second ton of Patrick, fifth earl of Dunbar; his 
mother was Ada, one of the natural daughters of Jung William. See A.0. 1184. 

s WiUiam de Montacute, QalL Chriat. iT. 995. 

» Id. col. 807. 

^ No abbej of this title occurs in the Oallia Christiana; the abbot*s name was 
John, and he afterwards became a cardinal. 

' The name of the abbot of Savigny is unknown. Id. iT. 266. 



184 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a,D. lUl-^ 

IVidom, Hyst, and Pavia, and the abbots of Clugni and Foigni/ 
along with many provosts and archpresbyters, and other men of 
importance from every part of the globe, sdl of whom are in chains 
of iron, a fate which we are fully persuaded awaits the whole of tis 
before long, without any respect of persons. Since, then, we can 
send you no intimation as to our release and return, but rather, on 
the contrary, since we anticipate a continuance of our abode here, 
we have to entreat you that, with all the speed you can employ, 
yo)i would send to their respective homes, under safe-conduct, our 
retinues, our converts, and all our household establishments, 
charging them that they shall make our condition fully known to 
our convents, in order that they become all the more careful for the 
interests of our order in proportion as they are aware of the danger 
to which we are at this time exposed. Do you, then, vouchsafe to 
direct that special prayer be offered for us, that we may endure 
our present evictions, and all such future evils as may be in store 
for us, with patience and meekness. Our confidence truly is, that 
all this present adversity shall be turned to our future prosperity, 
and that sweetness shall sprine out of the present bitterness. It is 
for you, therefore, to employ aU care and diligence that the integrity 
of the order be preserved, since the Lord has delivered you, as you 
perceive, from Uie extremity of these storms. The loni l^ate of 
England and the archbishop of Rouen, who had at first remained 
at Pisa, are now of late removed to [the custody of] other prelates 
by the emperor's command. The archbishop of Bisantium is 
drowned in the sea ; the abbot of Fecamp, who was in the same 
galley with the archbishop of Bisantium, is aUve, but a prisoner; 
all the Spanish bishops escaped. The lord emperor has in his 
prison only three legates, three archbishops, and six bishops; as for 
abbots and proctors, we will not speak of them at present." 

The Welshmen,* who are the descendants of the Britons, (who, 
from the time of their first king Brute, have been under the rule of a 
native prince, under whom and by whom their causes were decided,) 
are now compelled to go to London, there to have their suits deter- 
mined by the judgment of the English. Thus it has come about 
that, according to Merlin's prophecy. " the red dragon" (that is, 
the Britons) " is sick in the extremity of the lake," (that is, of 
the island,) " being held in subjection by the white dragon" (mean- 
ing the English). 

Christiana Corbet, the wife of William, the son of the earl, died, 
and was buried in the chapter-house of Melrose. 

Pope Gregory died, on the eleventh of the kalends of September 
[22d of Oct.], and about the feast of All Saints [1st Nov.] he was 
succeeded by Celestine, who, after occupying tiie see for about 
fifteen days, died. After his decease, the papal chair remained 
empty, and the peace of the church was thereby disturbed. 

In this same year, the eldest child of our lord Alexander, king of 
Scotland, was bom at Roxburgh, on the day of the translation of 

' Such of these titles as are not hopelessly corrupted, may be corrected by the 
oorrespondeuce printed from the register of Pope Gregory, by Raynaldi, iuDu 
1241 ; § 57, ecq. » See Fosd. i. 240, 241. 



^IX 1248.1 CHRONICLE OF MELROSB. 185 

Sl Cuthbert, the day before the nones of September [Wednes* 
day, 4th Sept.], being the fourth day of the week, and the child 
was named Alexander. He was bom in the commencement of the 
forty-fourth year of the age of his father ; the twenty-seventh 
year of his reign then drawing towards its conclusion. 

John de Macheswel was buried at Melrose. William, bishop of 
Argyll, was drowned at sea. 

A.D. 1242. Master Peter de Alinton, archdeacon of Twidale, 
died, and was succeeded by master Reginald de Irewin. Master 
Roger, sumamed Niger, bishop of London, died. Hugh de 
Patessil died; he was bishop of Chester, or of Coventry, or of 
lichesfield. 

Henry, king of England, passed the sea to take possession of his 
continental lands. John Cumin, earl of Angus, died in France. 

Patrick, earl of Athol, the son of Thomas of Galloway, who was 
also the earl of Athol, a most excellent youth, and (as far as man 
can judge) adorned with all courtly wisdom and politeness, was 
wickedly murdered, — alas ! that we should have to tell it — along 
with two of his companions, in his own residence, at Haddington, 
after he had gone to rest for the night ; and this was done by some 
wicked wretches. To conceal the extent of the crime, the house 
in which they were lying was burnt down, that it might appear that 
they had perished accidentally in the conflagration, and not by 
murder. But He who bringeth to light the hidden things of dark- 
ness, revealed publicly what these evil persons had done in private^ 
as will appear in the following narrative. After his death, David de 
Hastings took his earldom, which devolved to him in right of his 
wife, who was the aunt by the mother's side of the murdered 
youth. 

William de Somerville was buried at Melrose. The lord Walter 
Olifard, justiciary of Lothian, died, and was honourably buried in 
the chapter-house of Melrose. Andrew, bishop of Moray, died. 
Thunder was audible on the sixteenth of the kalends of January 
[16th Dec.]. 

A.D. 1243. John Biseth, and his uncle Walter, and others their 
accompUces were outlawed, because (as fame reported) this John 
had murdered Patric de Athol at the instigation of the William 
already mentioned. 

Master A. de Baggate was buried at Melrose. The lord Gillebert 
de Humframville took the countess of Angus to wife. 

All the prelates who had been confined in the emperor's prison 
were permitted to depart in freedom ; they then came to Rome 
and presented themselves to the cardinals. They, delighted at the 
spectacle, went to Anagnia ; and there upon the morrow of St. John 
the baptist [25th June], they elected as pope a presbyter cardinal 
named Synebald, by ihe title of St. Martin in Montibus; and 
having consecrated him upon the octaves of St. Peter and St. Paul 
[28th June], they styled him Innocent the fourth. 

William, abbot of Clairvaux, went the way of all flesh, whilst 
he was on his return from the [papal] court, in company with 
William, abbot of Citeaux ; for the abbot of Pietas Dei laid aside his 



i86 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [l.D. 1248^^ 

pastoral charge, and having been detained by the pope, was by him 
made a cardinal. 

Lord Roger Avenel was buried at Melrose, near his father. 
Michael, abbot of Glenluce, was buried at Walcheles, upon the day 
of St. Michael [29th Sept.] ; as also Gilbert, lord abbot of Cupre. 
who was interred at St. Remigius, on the sixth of the ides of 
October [1 2th Oct.], both of them being on their way home from the 
general chapter. 

During the Advent of our Lord, WiUiam de Binin, prior of 
Newbotle, was appointed to the rule of the house of Cupre. 

A.D. 1244. William, abbot of Citeaux, refused to exercise the 
office of abbot, and was succeeded by .... ,' the abbot of Ferte. 
Also, Alan Musard of Rievalx, was appointed abbot of Glenluce. 

In this same year, pope Innocent came into the land of the king 
of France, and remained for some time at Lyons ; and there, upon 
the day of the Holy Trinity [29th May], he consecrated, as bishop 
of Porto, Otho, who had formerly been legate in England and Scot* 
land. He had before this appointed as cardinal presb3rter, by the 
title of St. Laurence in Lucio, John, formerly abbot of Pietas Dei. 
' During this year, the accursed traitor Walter Biset and his 
accomplices ceased not to pour into the ears of Henry, king of 
England, the poison of discord, until he summoned his army and 
inarched as far as Newcastle, against our lord Alexander, the king 
of Scotland. The king of Scotland met him at Ponteland with 
a large army ; but a treaty of peace was concluded between them, 
on the vigil of the Assumption [24th Aug.], chiefly at the instance 
of the archbishop of York and of the other nobles. In consequence 
of this arrangement the king of Scotland returned home, and the 
king of England determined to make an inroad upon Wales; for 
the Welsh had rebelled, being unable to endure the yoke of the 
English. We must not omit to state that He who is the King of 
Glory, determined to elevate the king of Scotland by the gift of 
miracles, as we have heard from many. 

This year the land of Jerusalem was destroyed, and these letters 
reached our lord the pope. 

" To our most holy father and lord Innocent, by the grace of 
God, the pontiff of the holy see of Rome, Robert, by the same 
grace, patriarch of the holy church of Jerusalem, the legate of the 
apostolic see, archbishop of Regina in Cyprus and of Bavilla in the 
kingdom of Jerusalem, the archbishop of Tyre, R., bishop of 
Acres, G., bishop of Sidon, R., bishop of Lidda, to Herman of 
Perigord, the master of the knights of the Temple, brother William, 
master of the house of the Hospital of St. John, and the preceptor 
of the house of St. Mary of the Teutonic knights, Odo de Mont 
Beliard, the lord of Tiberias, and the constable of the king of 
Jerusalem, Philip de Montfort, lord of Teron, desire to loss your 
blessed feet, offering their eternal subjection. 

" We are persuaded that your holmess has not lost sight of the 
account which we forwarded to you through our patriarch, concern - 

> Blank in the MS., but the abbot's name was Bonifkoe; Gall. Christ !▼. 995. 



.A.D.1244.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 19J 

ing the miserable condition of the Holy Land» and the afflictions 
which have befallen it of late from the sudden and unexpected 
arrival of the Corosmins. But since there exists at this present 
time a more than usual necessity for making you acquainted with 
the scourge which, for our faults, the Lord hath been pleased to 
bring upon the Holy Land, we are constrained with one consent to 
inform you (since you are placed in the watch-tower of the Lord, 
above the other watchmen, and because you have the daily care ojf 
all the churches) — ^we repeat that we are constrained to inform you 
of the groans of the church of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the 
Christian people, and the danger of the Holy Land. We cannot, 
therefore, conceal from your holiness that these Corosmins, whose 
cruelty exceeds the fierceness of wild beasts, at the very commence- 
ment of their arrival took possession of the greater part of the 
province of Jerusalem, namely, from ' Nirone militum,' (which is 
eight miles distant from Jerusalem,) as far as the parts of Ascalon 
and Gaza, and still keep it in their possession. An unforeseen fear 
and trembling laid hold upon the hearts of the Christian population 
upon their arrival ; for they were aware that these people were in the 
habit of inflicting upon them every species of cruelty, and thirst^ 
for their blood. They were expelled from their own native soil by 
the power of the Tartars; and having no other place of resid^ioe, 
they advanced upon this which we have mentioned, at the cpmr 
mand of the soldan of Babylon, who is reported to have given them 
the districts which are inhabited by the Christians. Nor is it their 
intention simply to devastate the land and then depart, but they 
have come to take possession of it and inhabit it as their own, with 
their wives and families, intending to claim its dwellings and in- 
habitations as their property; unless the power of the Almighty resist 
them, and the apostolic see extend its protecting hand against 
them. For the soldan, whom we have mentioned, Uie head of this 
sacrilegious body, protects and defends them, and supports them by 
ample pay and costly gifts; for he believes that by them he wiU 
subjugate the king of Damascus and the Christian people ; yet this 
soldan does not venture out of Babylon, nor are they permitted to 
enter within the land of Babylon; for he holds them in suspicion 
in consequence of their power and faithlessness. 

" Now, although this calamity occasioned by the Corosmins is in 
itself sufficient to distress, more than enough, the minds of all men, 
another grief has originated by the arrival of the Tartars, a count-r 
less army of whom has terrified and smitten the whole of the east. 
Passing over the ' Aquae Frigidse,' they have penetrated as far as 
the ' Pons Ferreus,' near Antioch, devastating everything, like a 
countless swarm of locusts. God's goodness provided, however, 
that the soldans of Damascus and Aleppo and Camella entered 
into a treaty with them for a given time, (at a considerable outlay, 
indeed,) and so they have returned to the distant regions whence 
they came. The anxiety which we and the whole Christian popu- 
lation experienced, on the approach of this people, has subsided 
upon their departure. Our whole care is how we shall escape the 
9Word of the Corosmins which is hanging over us ; so we labour 



188 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [▲.a 1244. 

>Rrithout ceasing to procure their expulsion, and shall continue so 
to do; and although we have earnestly exhorted the illustrious king 
of Cyprus and the prince of Antiodi to render assistance to the 
Holy Land« yet from the former we have had no aid whatever, 
and the latter, apprehensive of the return of the Tartars, has been 
prodigal in his excuses. 

•' There are in the Holy Land a very limited number of foreign 
knights and foot-soldiers, the whole collective amount of whom 
would scarce reach a hundred. The knights who belong to the 
district are scattered far and wide, occupied in the garrisoning of 
the castles, so that they cannot be readily called together, since Uiey 
may not leave the fortresses unprotected ; and it has been decided 
by the general opinion of the whole land, that it would not be 
advisable to attack these wretches, or even to engage with them. It 
would be very hazardous for so few men to meet such a laige and 
powerful body, especially as tliey have been reinforced, since 
their first arrival, by an accession of troops from the same nation : 
so large that report represents them equal in number to the first 
body of invaders. It is confidently stated that there are no less 
than twelve thousand Ughtly equipped men-at-arms, exclusive of 
others of less account, their wives and families. 

" It was agreed, therefore, by common consent, to invoke the 
assistance of the soldans of Damascus and Camella, who are 
associated with the Christians by truce and treaty, and have a 
deadly feud with the Corosmins. After many soUcitations these 
soldans promised that they would come to help the Christians with 
all their strength ; but their arrival has been unexpectedly delayed 
from day to day, to the disappointment of every one, for without 
their co-operation it would be dangerous for the Christians to hazard 
a battle. 

" In the meantime the inhabitants of Jerusalem, being hemmed in 
on every side by their enemies, and afflicted within by hunger, with- 
out by the sword, were oppressed with many terrors and dangers ; 
and we were in the hope from day to day of rendering them assist- 
ance by collecting an army. But the faithless Corosmins invaded 
Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered that city upon 
Monday, the eleventh of July. The Christian inhabitants thereupon 
took refuge in the hospitals and in the churches of Jerusalem, which 
were close at hand ; and defending themselves within the wooden 
fortresses and the stone turrets, they gained the victory that day 
(by the mercy of Jesus Christ) over these wicked ones, and slew 
many of them. But, finding themselves unable to carry out their 
intentions, they withdrew in confusion, and unexpectedly stormed 
the church of St. James, belonging to the Armenians, who resided 
within the same city and took it, and slew with the edge of the 
sword many Armenians whom they found within that church- 
priests, clergy, and laity; and they beheaded the imperial governor 
of the castle and the preceptor of the hospital of St. John, who 
had bravely gone out against them to battle. Having been re- 
pulsed from the city upon this occasion, they withdrew to some 
buildings which tliey had erected in the outskirts. Urged by the 



a:1I.1244.] chronicle op MELROSE. ISO* 

extremity of this their necessity, the inhabitants of Jerusalem most 
earnestly required assistance from us, and very frequently sent, 
letters and messages to us and other Christians to that effect; but 
we could by no means furnish them with the aid which they 
required ; for the whole district was surrounded by the enemy, nor 
was there any means of obtaining access to the city save by passing 
through the army of the Corosmins. So we were partakers in their 
affliction, and our hearts were embittered by their sorrows. Earn- 
estly intent upon rendering them assistance, we agreed, by common 
consent, that a message should be sent to the soldan of the Vallies, 
(who lately had entered into a truce with some of the Christians,) 
requesting that by his help the people already mentioned might 
have a secure and safe passage to the land of the Christians. Along 
with our letters we sent to the said soldan influential messengers, 
whom we enjoined, that after they had heard his answer they should 
obtain his safe-conduct for the admission into Jerusalem of friar 
Simon, of the order of the Preachers, to strengthen the hearts of the 
Christian population, and that, while he was stating to them the 
answer of the soldan, he should carefully note the condition of the 
land and the people, and should inform us on all these particulars. 

" Thus, then, the messengers whom we have mentioned went to 
the soldan, and urgently entreated him for the safe conduct, and 
received from him for answer that he would most willingly give 
them the means of admission into Jerusalem, but that he could 
not do this without the consent of the Corosmins. He promised 
faithfully, however, that he would send a formal embassy to the 
Corosmins, whom (he said) he- would induce by entreaties and pre^ 
sents to suffer the Christian population to come in safety, he 
himself giving security for the conduct of the soldan. This same 
friar Simon, leaving behind him all the other messengers, accom- 
panied the soldan (under his safe-conduct) into Jerusalem, as we 
had commanded. He assembled the whole population, and having 
preached to them the word of God, he comforted them exceed- 
ingly, and exhorted them, and gave them absolution, as the patriarch 
had been enjoined by us; and he communicated to them the 
answer which he had received from the soldan by other messengers* 
After a council of deUberation had been held, the people of Jeru- 
salem answered, that they would rather die within the city by 
famine and pestilence than trust themselves to those most cruel 
heathen, or deUver themselves into the hands of the soldan, of 
whose want of faith they were certain and could have no manner of 
doubt; but that their firm resolution was to remain within the city, 
and there to await the mercy of Jesus Christ and succour. In 
investigating the condition of the country, friar Simon discovered 
that they had food sufficient to last them for six weeks. 

" Having heard their answer, he strictly prohibited any one from 
privately leaving the ^ity without a general safe-conduct ; he bade 
them hope in the mercy of the Highest, and defend themselves like 
men, and await the arrival of the Christian army. He then left the 
city, and, visiting the soldan on his way back, obtained his safe- 
conduct, and came to us with the intelligence which we have stated. 



190 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP BNdLA.ND. [▲.Ikl244« 

" On the third day after his return, and at the ninth hour, we 
were assured that a large body of the men-at-arms had left the city 
during the night, without having consulted the rest, or informed 
them of their intention, and unfortunately had reached Joppa. 
While we were lamenting about the stealdiy departure of these 
people, and were no little disturbed therewith, thinking upon the 
division and loss which it would occasion to the remainder of the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem, we shortly afterwards heard evil and 
lamentable tidings respecting them. For they (being apprehensive 
of a return of the Corosmins), leaving -behind them such of their 
number as would not abandon the city, upon Tuesday, being the 
eve of St. Bartholomew [23d Aug.], about the hour of vespers, by 
common consent, went out of the city, clerks and monks, and the 
laity of both sexes, resolving to advance through the mountainous dis- 
tricts until they reached the land of the Christians. They depended 
upon the truce into which they had entered with these Saracens in 
the mountains ; and they hoped, by adopting this route, to escape 
all danger from the Corosmins. But while diey thought they were 
escaping from Scylla, they miserably fell into Charybdis. For these 
fiedthless Saracens came down from the hills upon them with an 
tmexpected assault, and attacked tliem the whole night long : they 
killed (as it is reported) more than two thousand of them, pouring 
out their guiltless blood round about Jerusalem, and there was no 
man to bury them. The boys and the girls they carried off captives 
— ^they did not spare the aged; such of the aforesaid people as they 
did not choose to kill, they brought into a miserable slavery, selling 
them to the other Saracens. Moreover, the few of that people who 
escaped from the hands of these Saracens, and reached &e plain of 
Ramessa, were there overtaken by death and the sword from another 

auarter. For the Corosmins assailed them as enemies, and slew 
liem cruelly; and so great was the loss between the killed and the 
captured, that of the whole number scarce three hundred reached 
Joppa in disorder, and these were wounded and half-dead. 

'' Since, therefore, their innocent blood crieth to the Lord from 
the ground, may it be presented also before your blessed presence, 
so as to excite in you compassion and pity. Thus the prophecy of 
Jeremiah is fulfilled upon Jerusalem : ' Servants have ruled over 
us, ... . the joy of our heart is ceased ; our dance is turned into 
mourning.' (Lam. v. 8, 15.) 

'' We grieve to relate still further, that, after having committed 
this slaughter, the perfidious Corosmins entered the city of Jeru- 
salem, no one offering any resistance ; for now she stood deserted, 
having been abandoned by the larger part of her population. They 
broke into the church of the sepulchre of the Lord — the spot in 
which our Lord Jesus Christ poured forth his precious blood, when 
hanging upon the cross, for the salvation of mankind, — and they 
miserably slaughtered with the edge of the sword the Christians 
who had taken refuge therein, that they might there endure mar- 
tyrdom for Christ, thus staining the whole pavement with the blood 
of the martyrs. It is unnecessary to proceed. The priests who 
were celebrating at the altars of the church were beheaded by these 



A.n.lS44.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. I9T 

infidels, even while performing the holy mysteries^ and thus ofiiered 
themselves up as a sacrifice to God the Father. Oh happy spirit df 
master Peter de Montronda, canon of Reims and Sens, who fol- 
lowed the Lord, carrying his cross ; for as they were celebrating in 
the church of the Holy Sepulchre, he ofiered himself a sacrifice to 
Jesus Christ, having been slain by the unbelievers on the very spot 
where the Son of God had ofiered himself as a victim to God ! 

" The boundless filthiness and cruelty of this infidel race sur<^ 
pass the wickedness of all others of the Saracens ; for the latter, 
during the times they have held possession of Jerusalem, showed 
some respect to the fives of the Greeks, Armenians, and Jacobites, 
and other inhabitants who were Christians, even although they kept 
them in a state of slavery; for they permitted them in peace to 
celebrate the divine mysteries within, and to have the custody of 
the church of the Sepulchre, and the other holy places. But the 
most perfidious Corosmins spared neither religious person, sex, nor 
age ; and to the best of their ability they profaned the holy places, 
nor did they leave a single Christian within the city. They stripped 
the covering of lead from ofi* the roof of the church of ^e Sepul- 
chre; nay more, stretching out their sacril^ous hands upon the 
marble entablature which everjrwhere surrounds the Lord's Sepul- 
chrCp they threw it entirely down ; and the very place in which our 
Lord was buried they abundantly defiled, as far as they were able. 
No one can remember that the Saracens ever perpetrated such 
abominations as these have done. 

"Going up to the church of Bethlehem, it is said that they 
violated it in many ways ; for they shamefully abused the holiest 
places, that is to say. Mount Sion, the Temple of the Lord, and the 
other venerated places within the city of Jerusalem. And so mur- 
derers now dwell within the beautiful city, which was the joy of the 
whole earth, in which justice once abode ; for the crimes of the 
Christians demanded this. And the ofiering and the sacrifice have 
ceased ; for they have taken away the daily sacrifice,^ and the place 
of the sanctuary they have cast down ; they have poUuted the place 
of the tabernacle of his Name, in despite and contempt of the 
name of Christ. 

" We have further to acquaint you, O holy father, that to such 
a height of audacity and pride have they risen, that they have 
extended themselves over the whole country, and everywhere per- 
petrate excesses. Tliey did not stop short at Tiberias and the 
neighbourhood, but carried sword and fire as far as Acre, thus 
ravaging a district of seven miles. The parts beyond the sea are in 
greater danger and necessity than they are remembered to have 
been for the last hundred years. 

" Therefore let the pitiful groans of the Holy Land enter into 
the ears of the vicar of Christ; hear the lamentations of the 
chordi of Jerusalem, and the revilings of those who revile the 
Christian religion. Let there go out from the Church of Rome a 
sharp two-edged sword to avenge the innocent blood ; let conso- 
lation for the desolate be dispensed out of *her treasures. Let the 

* See Dan. Tiii. 11. 



192 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1244-^ 

^ord of exhortation proceed out of her lips, calling upon all the 
kings and princes of the world to avenge the injury offered to 
Jesus Christ, by whom they live and reign ; and let such speedy 
succour as your holiness shall think fit to appoint be rendered to 
this land, in order to wipe out the insults inflicted upon the 
people. 

" Dated at Acre, upon the day of St. Matthew [21st Sept.], 
A.D. 1244." 

" Th. the humble arch of Ciren 'to John 

and Andrew, the religious men in Christ who are beyond the sea. 

" We refer you to the prior of the Hospital of St. John of 
Jerusalem for some rumours from beyond the sea, which we must 
describe as being lamentable, miserable, terrible, horrible, and 
damnable. He is the bearer of letters to the most Christian 
king of France, written, not with ink, but with blood (so it is said, 
for I have not seen them), but they who have seen them declare that 
the letters are red. The outline is this : that the master of the 
Hospital of St. Mary of the Teutonic knights and all his convent 
(saving a few who escaped), and the whole knighthood which is 
beyond the sea, a large share of the armed Christian population, 
and along with them Narcissus, soldan of Turkey, and another 
soldan, who was captured by the Corosmins and the men of the 
soldan of Babylon, were all killed upon the seventeenth of Oc- 
tober. It is reported, moreover, that earl William and lord Philip 
were captured. The lord patriarch and the constable escaped. 
Here is cause for grief and lamentation." 

A.D. 1245. Hugh, abbot of St. Servanus, died, a man of a 
thoroughly commendable life, and one zealous for the holy religion. 
He was succeeded in the pastoral government by a monk of the 
same house, by name Matthew, upon the fifth of the ides of March 
[11th March]. In the Advent* of the same year pope Innocent 
the fourth came into the land of the king of France. In this same 
year Louis, the illustrious and most Christian king of the French, 
the beloved of God, was seized with a grievous illness (the provi- 
dence of God, who rules and disposes everything, so decreeing it) 
within the city of Paris. The sickness increasii^ in severity, and 
life appearing to be nearly extinct, it appeared to the bystanders 
that he had paid the penalty of death. When he had laid upon 
the bed of sorrow, and no sign of vitality had appeared in him for 
full three days, to the astonishment of all who were present, he 
suddenly raised his eyes to heaven, and with a loud voice he blessed 
the name of the Almighty God. Having summoned the bishop 
of Paris, he directed that the sign of the cross should be fixed by 
him upon his shoulder, since it was his intention to set out upon 
an expedition for the purpose of magnifying the Name of Jesus 
Christ, and extending the glory of the cross, wheresoever the holy 
church might be pleased to direct. The bishop, with due devo- 

' The name of the vrriter of this letter is by no means clear; it stands thus in 
the original MS. ..." Th. humilis arch. Ciren. &c. . . ." 
* Advent Sunday fell upon 3d Decero'der. 



A.n.1246.1 CHRONICUB OF MELROSE. 193 

lion, executed the holy \vishes of the good king, \vho immediately 
recovered from his sickness. 

At the same time that most wicked emperor, Frederick, when 
he heard of the sickness of the king, and that he had assumed the 
cross, sent him these letters, with a fraudulent intention, as it is 
believed: — 

" Frederick, by the grace of God, the emperor of the Romans, 
and perpetual Augustus, the king of Jerusalem and Sicily, to 
Louis, by the grace of God the illustrious king of the French, 
sends greeting, and the affection of a sincere love. 

" There has reached our ears a report which has occasioned us 
much sorrow, a report which tells us that your majesty has fallen 
into a grievous sickness through the weakness of the flesh.* This 
sorrow, however, was turned into rejoicing, and our pain into 
pleasure, when the intelligence of your restoration to health arrived, 
telling us that the right hand of God's power, who pitieth and 
maketh whole, had delivered you from the very gates of- death. It 
proceeds from the same influence, and springs from the same 
depth of the counsels of the Lord, (the necessity of the times so 
requiring it,) that a new champion has been raised up by God to 
meet the growing insolence of the heathen, and to check the 
slaughter inflicted from time to time upon our religion — one who 
shall do his best to revenge the enormous injury perpetrated upon 
it, when he shall have assumed the banner oi the cross of our God, 
to which we chiefly look as the strength of our faith. Your sick- 
ness, therefore, cannot but be regarded as a blessing, when we 
consider its results, though in itself it was a calamity; and thus 
the sorrow which it occasioned has been turned into an abundant 
cause for rejoicing. The general import of my meaning is this, 
that by the happy expedition which your majesty is about to 
undertake to the land of our Lord, our honour shall receive an 
increase, and the disgrace inflicted upon our faith shall be wiped 
out, when that region is delivered by die power of France from the 
swords of our Saracen enemies." ' 

" Innocent the bishop, the servant of the servants of God, in 
the presence of this sacred council, and as a continued memorial 
of the event. 

" Since we, all unworthy as we are, have been raised to the 
summit of the apostolic dignity by God's wisdom, it is our duty 
to give careful heed to the welfare of all Christians, and with the 
eye of a deep scrutiny to distinguish the deserts of each person, 
and to weigh them in the balance of a careful deliberation. Thus 
we may exalt to due honour such as the stringency of a close 
examination pronounces to be worthy of the favour; and if any be 
guilty, that we may punish them according to their deserts ; weigh- 
ing sdways punishment and reward in a just scale, and awarding to 

' The condufdon of the letter is wantiog, as is also the commencement oi the 
next document, which Lb here supplied from another copy contained in M. 
p. 668. 

VOL. IV. O 



194 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [A.Dilfi45— 

^ach several individual the censure or the favour proportionate to 
the quaJity of his work. 

" Now, since hostile disturbances have longafflicted some provinces 
which have embraced Christianity, we, in our hearty desire for the 
tranquillity and peace of the holy church of God to all Christian 
people collectively, have thought it advisable to despatch special 
messengers, men of great authority, to that secular prince who is 
the chief originator of this discord and tribulation, and who, in con- 
eequence of his excesses, had been placed under the bond of excom- 
munication by our predecessor of holy memory, pope Gregory; 
we have sent (we repeat) upon this mission P[eter] of Albano, 
then archbbhop of Rouen, William, then bishop of Sabina, but 
formerly bishop of Modena, and our beloved son W., priest- 
cardinal of the church of the Twelve Apostles, and at that time 
abbot of St. Fecundus, all of whom were jealous for his welfare. 
We caused it to be intimated to him by them, that we and our 
brethren, as far as in us lay, were desirous of being at peace with 
him on every point, as indeed we wished to be with all men, and 
that we were prepared to extend that same peace and quiet to him 
and to the whole world. And since it would considerably tend to 
the accomplishment of this unity if he would restore to liberty 
those prelates, clerks, and all others whom he was keeping in prison, 
and also all the clerks and laymen whom he had captured in the 
galleys, we caused the same messengers to make a request and 
petition to him for their Uberation, the more especially as he him- 
self, and his messengers for him, had promised to our said prede- 
cessor that he would do this thing before we were called to the 
apostolic see. Moreover, we stated that the same messengers 
were prepared, on our part, to hear his terms, and to treat of 
peace, and also to Usten to any offer of satisfaction which ht, the 
chief person of all those for whose behalf he had incurred the 
sentence of excommunication, might be inclined to propose. 
Besides all this, they were instructed to suggest, that if the church 
had undeservedly injured him in any particular, (which, however, 
she did not believe to be the case,) she was prepared to make 
atonement, and to place the matter upon its true and proper foot> 
ing. And should he affirm that the church, or we ouraelves in 
particular, had injured him in any point, then we were ready to 
summon to meet at any secure place, kings, prelates, and princes, 
as well ecclesiastics as seculars, either to attend perscmally, or by 
other their special messengers ; and that the church was prepared 
to do him justice according to the decision of the assembly, to 
make satisfaction as to any point upon which he might have expe- 
rienced- damage, and to revoke whatever sentence had been wrong- 
fully pronounced against him ; and with all gentleness and mercy 
(as far as was consistent with the honour due to God and himself), 
to receive from him satisfaction for such injuries and offences as he 
had inflicted upon the church and his own people; and that it 
was the desire of the church that all his friends and adherents 
should have such full peace and security, as that they might never 
hereafter incur any danger on this account. 



.AJX124C,] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 195 

" But although we took care thus gently to deal with him respect- 
ing peace, by our paternal admonitions and entreaties, he still 
imitated the hardness of heart of Pharaoh ; and stopping his ears like 
a deaf adder, he despised these our prayers and entreaties in his 
mingled obstinacy and pride. And although afterwards, that is to 
say, upon the Holy Thursday last past, he made a solemn oath, 
(before us and our brethren, in the presence of our most beloved 
son in Christ, the illustrious emperor of Constantinople, and a 
large assemblage of prelates, and the senators and people of Rome, 
and a great multitude of others, who had congregated from various 
parts of the world, at the apostolic see upon tibat day, in conse- 
^ence of the solenmity which attaches to it,) by the noble count 
of Toulouse and masters Peter de Vinea and Thaddeus de Suessa, 
the judges of his court, who were his messengers and proctors, and 
had a special order to thb effect, that he would abide by our com- 
mands and those of the church, yet afterwards he did not fulfil 
what he had sworn* to. Nay, rather, the probability is (as his subse- 
sequent actions seem to warrant us in believing), that he made 
that oath rather for the purpose of deceiving us and the church 
than of obeying ; for althou^ a year and more have now elapsed, 
he would neither suffer himself to be recalled to the bosom of the 
church, nor has he taken care to make satisfaction to her for the 
wrongs and injuries which he had inflicted, although he has been 
reminded of his duty. Since, then, we are unable any longer to 
tolerate his iniquities without doing grievous offence to Christ, our 
conscience constrains us to mark him with our disapprobation. 

" Passing over, for the present, his other crimes, he has com- 
mitted four most grievous sins, which no cunning can hide. He 
is deeply perjured. He has rashly violated the peace formerly esta- 
blished between the church and the empire. He has also com- 
mitted sacrilege in procuring the capture of the cardinals of the 
holy Roman diurch, and of the prelates of other churches, and of 
suoi clerks and seculars as were on their way to the council which 
had been summoned in his wisdom by our predecessor. Further- 
more, he is suspcicted of heresy, and that by no doubtful and light 
arguments, but by weighty and evident proofs. 

lliat he has committcKi many perjuries is sufficiently evident. 
For while he was resident in Sicily some time ago, before he had 
been elected to the imperial dignity, he made oath of fealty to our 
predecessor of happy memory, pope Innocent, and to his successors, 
and to the church of Rome, in consequence of the grant of the 
kingdom of Sicily made to him by the said church ; and this he did 
in die presence of G. of good memory, the cardinal -deacon of St. 
Theodore, the legate of the apostolic see. It is further stated that 
when he was elected to that same dignity, he came to the city [of 
Rome] and renewed that same oath, in the presence of the said 
Innocent and his brethren [the cardinak] and many others, doing 
to him his l^al homage. Besides, while he was in Germany, he 
swore in the presence of the princes and nobles of the emigre, 
that he would, to the best of his power, keep and (N-otect, in good 
faith, the honours, rights, and possessions of the church of Rome, 

o2 



196 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [i.b.l24S— 

for the said I[nnocent], and on his death for pope Honorius of 
good memory, and his successors, and also for that same Roman 
church ; and that he would take care to restore without difficulty 
what things soever should come into his hands, specifying in the 
oath the said possessions ; and this he afterwards con&med when 
he had obtained the imperial crown. These three several oaths, 
however, he has rashly broken, not without having incurred the 
brand of treachery and treason. For he has ventured to send 
threatening letters to the cardinals against our said predecessor 
G[regory], and against themselves; and, as appears by the same 
letters then sent by him, by many ways to slander the said 
G[regory] to the cardinals, as is also reported throughout the whole 
world. He has caused to be arrested our venerable brother 0[tho], 
bishop of Porto, then cardinal -deacon of St. Nicolas " in Carcere 
Tuliano," and the bishop of Preneste, of good memory, both oi 
whom were legates of the apostolic see, and important members 
of the church of Rome ; and after having despoiled them of all 
their goods, he committed them to prison, having previously 
dragged them about, in ignominy, from place to place. He has 
also done his best to contract, or even entirely to aboUsh from the 
churcli, the privilege with which our Lord Jesus Christ Himself 
invested the blessed Peter and his successors, when He said to him, 
' Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; 
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in 
heaven' [Matt. xvi. 19.], on which depend the power and autho- 
rity of the church of Rome ; for he wrote that he did not fear the 
sentences of the said G[regory], and that not only would he despise 
the excommunication pronounced against him, (disregarding herein 
the keys of the church,) but farther, that he, by his officials, would 
not permit others to give any weight to this, or any other sentence 
of excommunication or interdict. He has not scrufJed to lay 
hands upon the possessions of the church of Rome, namely, the 
march land, the duchy of Benevento, (the towers and walk of 
which city he has caused to be destroyed,) and other property which 
she held elsewhere in Tuscany and Lombardy, with a few excep- 
tions ; and these he still holds in possession. 

" And as if it were not sufficient for him thus openly to violate 
his oaths, he and his officials have compelled others, the inhabitants 
of these districts, to commit perjury, absolving them de facto 
(since dejwre that is impossible) from the oaths of fealty by which 
they are bound to the church of Rome, and msddng them abjure 
that fealty which they had formerly given, and transfer the same 
to himself. It is notorious that he is a violator of the peace ; for 
formerly during the time of peace between the church and him- 
self, he made oath before J. de Abbeville, bishop of Sabina, and 
master Thomasius, presbyter-cardinal, by the title of St. Sabina, in 
the presence of many prelates princes, and barons, that he would 
stand by and submit to all the commands of the church, simply 
and without gainsaying, in every matter respecting which he had 
incurred the penalty of excommunication, the causes of which 
excommunication were severally specified in his presence ; and 



l^a 124&] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 197 

although he also at the same time made oath« upon his own soul, 
through N. count of Acerra, that he would withdraw all dis*- 
pleasure and penalty from all the people of Germany, from those 
of the kingdom of Sicily, and from aU others who had taken part 
with the church against himself, and that he would at no time 
attack them, or cause them to be attacked; yet afterwards he did 
not feel ashamed to break this promise of peace and these oaths 
which he had thus made. For he caused some of those very per- 
sons, as well noblemen as others, to be afterwsurds apprehended ; 
and having plundered them of their goods, he led captive their 
wives and children. He irreverently invaded the lands of Uie church, 
contrary to the promise by him to the said J., bishop of Sabina, 
and cardinal Thomasius, although they had already pronounced 
sentence of excommunication against him in his presence, if he 
should transgress in this respect : and when these same individuals 
had enjoined him by the apostolic authority that no impedimeat 
should arise, either from himself or others, in the freedom of postu-t 
lation, election, and confirmation for the churches and monasteries 
in the kingdom aforesaid, according to the decrees of the general 
council, and that henceforth no ecclesiastic within the kingdom 
should be treated as a layman, and that due satisfaction should be 
made to the Templars, Hospitallers, and other ecclesiastical persons, 
for the' injuries and losses inflicted upon them, this command he 
despised and neglected to fulfil. It is notorious, also, that there are 
vacant in the said kingdom more than eleven archiepiscopal sees» 
many bishoprics, and many abbeys and other churches ; and that 
by his means, as is plainly apparent, his subjects have been de- 
prived of the rule of their prelates, to their great prejudice, and to 
the peril of souls. And although it may happen that some elections 
are made by chapters in some of the churches in that kingdom, yet 
since by them clerks from among their own body have been elected, 
it may hence be fairly concluded that they have enjoyed no free 
power of election. Not only has he caused the possessions and 
goods of the churches of his kingdom to be seized at his pleasure, 
but further, like a despiser of God's service, he has carried off the 
crosses, chaUces, censers, and other treasures and silken cloths;, 
although (as it is stated) he has made a partial restitution upon the 
payment of a fixed price. 

" The clerks, too, are afflicted in many ways by collections and 
taxes. Not only are they dragged before the secular tribunal, but, 
as is reported, they are compelled to fight duels; they are im-. 
prisoned, are executed, and are hanged, to the dismay and contempt 
of the clerical order. No satisfaction has been made to these 
Templars, Hospitallers, and other ecclesiastical persons, for the 
losses and injuries which have been thus inflicted. 

"It is certain, also, that he is a perpetrator of sacrilege. For 
when the said bishops of Portua and Preneste, and the bishops 
and clerks of many churches, as well religious men as seculars, 
were on their way by sea — for he had directed that all access by 
land should be hindered — to celebrate a council at Rome (which he 
himself had previously requested might be convoked), he sent his 



10& CHURCH HlflTTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [▲.D. 1916— 

Bon^Enzio thither with a large fleet of galleys. He lay in wait for 
them with these vessels, and several others which he had col- 
lated on the coasts of Tuscany. He was so sacrilegiously bold, that 
he caused them to be seized, in order that thus he might spit out 
dl the more furiously the venom of his heart; during which 
seizure some of the prelates and others were drowned, others 
killed, and others put to flight, as if they were enemies who oug^t 
to be persecuted ; while the remainder were plundered of all their 
property, ignominiously dragged about from place to place within 
the kingdom of Sicily, and then committed to a crud imprison- 
ment, during which they miserably perished, worn out by filth and 
hunger. 

" Moreover, there is just cause to accuse him of heretical pravity. 
For after he had incurred the sentence of excommunication, pro- 
nounced against him by the said J., bishop of Sabina, and car- 
dinal Thomas and the said pope Gregory had subjected him to an 
anathema, and after the capture of the cardinals, prelates and 
derks, and others also, at various times, when on their way to the 
apostolic see, — ^he despised, and still despises, the keys of the 
^urch, causing divine service to be performed, or rather (as far as 
he is concerned) profaned ; and stubbornly affirming, as we have 
before mentioned, that he does not dread the sentences of the said 
Gr^ry. Moreover, he is associated in an accursed friendship 
with the Saracens, and has often despatched messengers and 
gifts to them, and received the same from them in return with 
honour and distinction; he embraces their religious rites, keeps 
IJiem in daily attendance upon himself, and, following their 
Custom, he is not ashamed to appoint as guards over his wives (who 
are the descendants of a kingly family) especially such of them as 
he is said to have emasculated of late. And something yet more 
accursed ; when he was in the parts beyond the sea, some time 
ago, he permitted the name of Mahomet to be publicly proclaimed 
night and day in the temple of the Lord, in consequence of an 
agreement, or rather a fraud, which he had entered into with the 
soldan ; and now of late, he has caused the ambassadors of the 
soldan of Babylon to be honourably received (as is reported), and 
sumptuously entertained throughout the kingdom of SicUy, sounding 
the praises of the soldan; and this after this same soldan, personally 
and by others, had caused most grievous and incalculaUe injuries 
to be inflicted upon the Holy Land, and the Christians therein 
resident. 

" Turning to an evil account against the faithful the dangerous 
and mischievous assistance of other misbelievers, and causing 
himself to become the companion and the friend of such as, 
despising the apostolic see to their own condemnation, have 
departed from the unity of the church, he, casting aside the 
Christian religion, as is affirmed for a certainty, caused the duke 
of Bavaria, of illustrious memory, the special friend of the church 
of Rome, to be slain by the Assassins, and gave his daughter in 
marriage to Bacharius, an enemy to God and the church, who had 
been solemnly severed, by the sentence of excommunication, from 



I.B. 1245.] CHRONICLK OP MSLR06E. 199 

the commimion of the faithful, along with all who rendered hun 
aid, counsel, and protection. Rejecting the habits and usages of 
Catholic princes, and being a despiser of holiness and good repu- 
tation, he gives no heed to worics of piety ; on the contrary (to be 
silent about his notorious profligacies), although he has learnt to 
play the oppressor, he takes no care merci&lly to reheve the 
oppressed ; nor does he extend his hand in almsgiving, as becomes 
a prince, although he has been active in the destruction of churches, 
and has worn out, by long-continued persecution, religious persons 
and other ecclesiastics ; nor has he given any evidence that he has 
erected churches, or monasteries, or hospitals, or any other pious 
foundations. These are no trifling grounds for suspecting him of 
heresy — nay, they are cogent arguments, since the civil law pro*^ 
nounces that those persons are to be included under the definition 
of heretics (and as such ought to incur its' penalties), who are dis*^ 
covered in having departed in the slightest point from the judgment 
and rule of the CathoUc religion. 

" Besides this, he has reduced the kingdom of Sicily, which he 
the said prince holds in fee from the apostolic see, to such a degree 
of exhaustion and bondage, as well in its clergy as its laity (although 
it is the special patrimony of the blessed Peter), that he has ex- 
pelled them from thence, reduced neariy to a state of complete 
beggary, and loaded with insults ; and such as remain there are 
constrained by him to live in the condition of slaves, and in many 
ways to assail and attack in hostile manner the church of Rome, 
of which they are for the most part the subjects and the vassals. 
This also is a fitting subject for blame, that for nine years and more 
he has n^lected to pay an annual pension of one thousand sequins, 
in which sum he is bound to the said church of Rome for that 
same kingdom. 

" We, therefore, having taken due deliberation beforehand with 
our brethren [the cardinals] and the holy council, respecting the 
premises and very many of his other wicked excesses, since, 'all 
unworthy as we are, we represent upon earth the jurisdiction of 
Jesus Christ, and it has been said to us, in the person of the 
blessed Peter, 'Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be 
bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on eartli shall 
be loosed in heaven' [Matt. xvi. 19], we, from the Lord, do 
hereby declare, denounce, and by sentence depose, the said prince, 
who has shown himself so unworthy of his empire, his kingdom, 
and all his honours, and who is rejected of God, and tied and 
bound in the chain of his sins, on account of his iniquities, so that 
he shall be neither emperor nor king. We entirely absolve the 
citizens from the oath of fidelity, as also all those persons who are 
bound to him by such oath; and by our apostolic authority we firmly 
enjoin, that henceforth no one shall obey him, or regard him as 
emperor or king ; and we decree, that any persons who shall hence* 
forth give him counsel, assistance, or favour, shall, ipso facto, incur 
the penalty of excommunication ; and that those persons in the 
empire to whom belongs the privilege of electing an emperor, may 
kwfully choose a successor. And as for the kingdom of Sicily, 



200 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. rA.D.1345— 

we, with the counsel of our brother cardinals, will take care to 
make provision for it as we shall see fitting. 
• " Dated at Lyons, on the sixteenth of the kalends of August 
[17th July], in the third year of our pontificate." 

" Frederick, by the grace of God, the emperor of the Romans, 
and perpetual Augustus, the king of Jerusalem and Sicily, wishes 
health and every good thing to the prelates of the churches, barons, 
nobles, and all persons throughout the realm of England, to whom 
the present letters may be shown. 

" Although we are persuaded that the justice of our cause has 
been already made known to you, as well by common report as by 
the truthful testimony of the royal messengers, yet since informa- 
tion communicated through the ears makes a less powerful im- 
pression on the mind than that which reaches it through the 
evidence of the eyes, we present to your inspection a clear, and 
true, and open account of the proceedings which the popes have 
hitherto instituted against us. We hope that your affection will 
not grudge us the time which may be necessary for this purpose, 
considering that we have given up so many days to your interests. 
If, then, you will be pleased diligently to give heed to the matters 
which affect the interests of kings, you will do well to inquire how 
far there is in our ecclesiastical superiors any zeal for justice, and 
whether it is right that, when they weary us with so many and so 
great injuries, we ought to be denied (as we still are denied) the 
opportunity of offering a defence thereto ; and further, ask whe- 
ther the vicars of Christ are his representatives, and whether the 
successors of St. Peter are following the example of their pre- 
decessor ; and lastly, inquire by what law the process thus insti- 
tuted against us can be considered valid, or by what name it ought 
to be designated. Can an incompetent judge pronounce a com- 
petent sentence ? Now, although we, as is fitting, most openly 
cohfess that we hold (along with the Catholic faith) that the full 
plenitude of power in spiritual matters was granted by the Lord to 
the bishop of the holy see of Rome, even although he be a sinner 
(which God forbid), so that whatsoever he shall bind in earth shall 
be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall 
be loosed in heaven ; yet we have nowhere read that he has any 
grant, by either divine or human law, whereby he at his pleasure 
can translate kingdoms, or punish kings, or adjudge respecting the 
lands of princes. Admitting that our consecration appertains to 
him, according to the right and usage of our ancestors, yet the 
power of deprivation or removal no more belongs to him than to 
any other prelate, who may consecrate or anoint any other of the 
bishops or kings of other realms. Be it granted that he has such 
power as this, but is it by the plenitude of this power that he can 
punish any one whom he asserts to be under his jurisdiction, 
without observing any of the forms of justice ? For he has of late 
proceeded against us (as is asserted), not by the form of an accu- 
sation, for no fitting accuser appeared, nor did any accusation issue; 
nor by denunciation, for no lawful summoner was present ; nor bv 



Jjxi24&] CHRONICLE PP MELROSE. 201 

mode of inquiry, for no complaint had been made, nor had any 
copy of the ecclesiastical matters to be inquired into been served 
upon us (if indeed there were any), when no persons were publicly 
produced by the judge. 

" He states generally that all these matters are notorious ; we as 
generally deny them, and there is no proof made by lawful wit- 
nesses that they are so. Were it permitted to every judge thus 
to become the accuser, by declaring that the crime was notorious, 
each judge might condemn each criminal without regard to law. 
False witnesses rose up against us (as it is said) in the council, but 
these were very few ; and one of these, the bishop of Galia, was 
our enemy upon notorious grounds, because we had lawfully con- 
demned to the gallows his brother and nephew for treason ; his 
evidence therefore is inadmissible. Some of the others came from 
the furthest comers of Spain; the bishops of Terrogona and 
Compostella, who from their great distance from Italy are unac- 
quainted with its afiairs, and they having been suborned, cannot 
lawfully be accepted as evidence for our condemnation. But even 
if they were ; admitting that there are present these parties, the 
witnesses, the prosecutor, and the judge, one more is wanting, the 
criminal who is to be condemned ; and he must either be present, 
or absent by contumacy, if he is to be lawfully condemned. For 
(as we have hcdrd) we were cited, though informally, when he [the 
pope] was preaching at Lyons ; for when we were cited, no mention 
was made of uther matters or persons whatever ; and we ought to 
have appeared either by ourselves or our fitting attorneys, if justice 
were to be done. Certainly we ourselves were not present, and 
our absence was from a lawful cause ; and our lawful attorneys were 
not admitted to certify this on our behalf. Nor were we absent by 
contumacy ; for (not to insist that the citation was null and void, 
as we have stated) that citation did not express any definite term» 
as the law requires it should, as evidently appears by the copy 
thereof, which we have transmitted in our letters to the princes 
and prelates. The complete mandate of master Thaddeus de 
Suessa, the judge of our supreme court, and our faithful proctor, 
excuses this our contumacy, the authority of which is by no means 
impeached by the circumstance that the process against us relates 
to criminal matters, not to civil, and that in these our proctor 
cannot interfere, since the terms of the citation itself, which 
requires the presence of ourselves or our proctors, plainly implies 
a contrary meaning ; to wit, that we were to be proceeded against, 
not criminally, but only civilly, everything aforesaid being so 
limited as not to act to our prejudice. 

" But admitting that we were manifestly contumacious, that is 
no proper punishment for contumacy, since he who is delated or 
accused, if contumacious, ought not to be condemned by a defini- 
tive sentence before the judgment has been lawfully begun, and 
his cause examined into in private or in public. The canon and 
civil laws here draw a distinction in the cases of those who are 
contumacious. 

" Lastly, admitting that our cause is deficient in all the unan- 



202 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a.B. 1S4J^ 

swerable argaments in law by which it is defended* the terms of the 
veiy sentence pronounced contains nothing to show that its condem- 
nation was directed against us who were absent, and not our proctcM' 
who was present ; and every law and all equity clearly demonstrate 
that such a sentence is in its very nature null. The proceedings 
contained in the sentence establish the obvious iniquity of the 
process and action ; but from these we are protected oy truth 
which cannot be gainsayed, and by public documents, as is esta- 
blished step by step, beyond doubt, by the evidence of the bearer 
of this letter, and by die copies of the documents themselves ; 
although all and singular would not have warranted such a severe 
sentence (if a sentence so precipitately pronounced can be called 
a sentence at all) being directed against a Roman prince. Its pre- 
cipitancy is manifest from the temper which notoriously had 
preexisted for a considerable time. For at least three days the 
pope would not admit into his presence the lord bishop of Frisingen, 
the beloved prince brother, H., the master of the hospital of St. 
Mary of the Teutonic knights, and master P. de Vinea, the judge 
of our supreme court, our beloved and faithful friends, whom we 
had at length sent to the council for the final conclusion of the 
treaty of peace ; for they having waited for the arrival of master 
Walter de Ocra, our vicar-chaplain (who with the sanction of the 
^pofpe and some of the cardinals had been sent to us), a delay of 
twenty days ought to have been allowed for them; but a delay ci 
two days only was permitted, and that at the earnest entreaty 
df the nobles and many other of the prelates, during whidi he was 
absent from the said wicked proceedings at Lyons. 

" Another indication of his bitter and proud hostility towards us, 
appears in the sentence in which the punishment is awarded; for 
in it the Roman emperor, the imperial ruler, and he who wields in 
himself the supreme power, is said to have been condemned for 
high treason ; and he, who by his imperial position is exempt from 
all laws, is ludicrously put in subjection to the law, the punish- 
ment of whom belongs not to man but to God, inasmuch as he 
has no temporal superior. As for spiritual punishments to be 
enjoined to us by sacerdotal penances, as well for despising the 
keys as for other sins of human infirmity, these we will not accept 
at the hands of the pope (whom, however, we are entirely willing 
to profess to be our fadier in spiritual matters, if he, on his part, 
will admit that we stand towards him in the corresponding relation- 
ahip of a son), but will reverently receive them from any priests, 
and faithfully observe them. 

" All these considerations plainly evince how shamefully, how 
unjustly we have been held as suspected of wavering towards the 
Catholic faith ; which, we take God to witness, we firmly believe 
and profess without limitation, in all and singular the articles of the 
same, according to the discipline of the universal church, and the 
creed which has the sanction of the church of Rome. 

*' Your prudence will therefore observe that this sentence, which 
is null, ipso jure, and these proceedings, which also, ^pso jure^ are 
nulU ought not to be observed as afi*ecting us, since Uiey also 



1.1X15M0.1 CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 203 

redound to the injury of all kings, princes, and temporal dignities 
whatsoever. They have not been confirmed by any of the princes 
of Germany, upon whom depend our elevation to the throne, our 
continuance in it, and our deposition from it. 

" Another matter requires notice ; what issue may be expected 
from these b^nnings ? The first blow has been aimed at us, but 
be well assured that it will ere long be directed against other kings 
and princes ; for the boast is openly made that if my power be but 
brought under their feet (which God forbid!) no resistance else- 
where is to be dreaded. Defend, then, the cause of your own 
kingdom, for it is involved in mine ; look to the interests of your- 
selves and your heirs. Nor do we forget that we fully expect the 
constancy of your king at this time ; for we remember the affinity 
which exists between us, that he will not only give no favour, 
publicly or privately, to our adversary, his legates, or messei^ers, 
but, on the other hand, manfully and powerfully help us to the best 
of his ability. He ought not to admit, on any account, any nuncio 
or legate, who is attempting to pervert to our disadvantage the mob 
which is subjected to his own authority. You may be assured that 
we have resisted these beginnings, for upon us the boldness of this 
audacious attempt has first manifested itself, and we have been 
aided herein by the right hand of the King of kings, which always 
accompanies justice, whereas this pontifical authority is extending 
its jurisdiction, to the deprivation no less of ourselves than of 
every priest. The aid of kings and princes should not oppose us 
herein, for their cause is one with our own, and their interest is as 
much at stake as ours is ; the defence, however, which we have 
made herein shall leave no cause for apprehension in the minds 
of ourselves and of the other nobles of the earth. We take God 
to witness that we do this unwillingly; but the provocation required 
it, for we see that, in our times, the faith of Christianity is borne 
down by a mighty plague, and we fully depend upon your fidlest 
and most active cooperation along with ourselves for its assistance. 
God shall demand an account of this at the hand of that person, 
who has been the occasion of a danger which threatens the de« 
stniction of nearly the entire state of Christendom. 

" Dated at Turin, on the second of the kalends of August [31st 
July], in the third indiction." * 

A.D. 1246. Matthew, cellarer of Melrose, was elected abbot on 
the morrow of SS. Tiburicus and Valerian [13th April], and on 
Ascension-day [13th May], he was solemnly blessed by William, 
lord bishop of Glasgow, in the church of Melrose. The body of 
lord Henry de Balolf ' was removed from St. James, and honour- 
ably buried in the chcqpter-house of Melrose. Also Matthew, 
abbot of St. Servanus, was deposed, and Geofirey, prior of New- 
bottle, was appointed in his stead. St. Edmund, the archbishop, 
was canonized. 

* This masterly state paper is printed among the epistles of Peter de Yineis, 
i S4, ed. 8yo. 1740. 

' Probably the Henry de Baliol mentioned in Dugd. Baron. I 523. 



5)04 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.B. 1247— 

A.D. 1247. Lord Thomas de Campa died and was buried within 
the house of Melrose. Also Philip de Peccokes, and Robert de 
Curri, and Adam de Lomokestun, were carried thither and buried, 
as also Adam de Baylolf, who was buried near his father ; and 
master William of Grenlawe, who was buried in the chapter-house. 
Also Ralph, bishop of Aberdeen, died, and was succeeded by 
master Peter de Ramesey. There was a change in the coin. 

A.D. 1248. Louis, the most noble king of the French, and 
many others, as well nobles as of the lower orders, leaving their 
native country for Christ's sake, went to Jerusalem ; and on their 
arrival at the island of Cyprus, they spent the winter there. In the 
same expedition the lord Patrick, earl of Dunbar, departed from 
this worid ; his son, lord Patrick, succeeded him. The lord John 
de Crauforde was buried at Melrose. Hugh, abbot of Kelso, died, 
and was succeeded by Robert of Smalhame, a monk of the same 
house. Nicolas, lord bishop of Durham, resigned his episcopal 
cure, and was succeeded by Walter de Kyrdiam, the dean of 
York. 

A.D. 1249. Gilbert, the lord bishop of Brechin, died, and was 
succeeded by his archdeacon Robert. Louis, the king of the 
French, abandoning the island of Cyprus, reached the celebrated 
town of Damietta, which he besieged manfully, and took after 
having slain many of the enemy ; and gained an entrance into it 
with his army on the eleventh of the kalends of July [21st June]. 
Philip, abbot of Gedeworth, died; his successor was Robert de 
Oysebume, a monk of the' same house. 

In this same year Alexander, the illustrious king of the Scots, 
was seized with a severe illness while he was on his journey to the 
parts of Argyll, and was carried to the island of Cerverei,* where 
(after he had received the sacraments of the church) his happy 
spirit was removed from this world, and associated with all the 
saints in heaven, as we trust. But as for his body, it was removed 
to the church of Melrose (as he had himself given directions in his 
lifetime), and was there committed to the bosom of the earth as 
befitted a king. At the time of his death he was in his fifty-first 
year, and in the thirty-fifth year of his reign ; he died on the fifth 
day of the week, on the eighth of the ides of July, [Thursday, 8th 
July], leaving his kingdom to his son Alexander, a boy nearly eight 
years old, who, according to the custom of the kingdom, was 
appointed king, and placed upon his father's throne by the nobility 
on the third of the ides of July [13th July], and was honoured by 
all as the lawful heir. 

Robert, abbot of Gedeworth, died ; his successor was Nicolas, 
a canon of the same house. 

A.D. 1250. After everything had so far succeeded prosperously 
with the army of the Christians, now their soldiers were delivered 
over to the pagans, chiefly in consequence of the pride of the French 
(so it was said), who gained a victory over them on the sixth day of 
the first week of Lent, [Friday, 11th Feb.], who inflicted a sad 

' Eercra, or Kerrera, near the Souud of Mull. See Fordun, ii. 77, where iho 
word is misprinted. 



A.2>. 1252.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. ^05 

slaughter upon the Christians, not without a considerable loss to 
themselves. Havii^ taken prisoner the king of France himself, 
they carried him off alive, and for some time kept him among 
them, treating him with the greatest respect, and afterwards they 
permitted him to return in freedom to his own country, after he 
had paid his ransom, and a truce had been mutually concluded. 
After the departure of the king, the pagans entered into Damietta, 
and when they perceived that their temples and idols had been 
overthrown, they were indignant beyond measure ; and, breaking 
the truce, they put to death in various ways all the Christians 
whom they could find. Hearing this the king returned to Acre, 
and there required assistance from the Crusaders. 

Robert de Muschamp^ was buried at Melrose. Master Richard 
de Inherketyn was chosen and consecrated to the government of 
the bishopric of Dunkeld after the death of bishop Geofirey. 
Frederick, who had been emperor, died. Adam, abbot of Dnn- 
draynan, died ; and Brian, a monk of the same house, succeeded 
him. 

A.D. 1251. Ralph, abbot of St. Edward's,' died; his successor 
was John, a monk of the same house, who had formerly been prior 
of May. At the same time Hubert, abbot of Kynlos, an aged 
man, refused to act as abbot, and he was succeeded by Richard, a 
monk of the same house. 

In this same year Henry, king of England, and Alexander, kmg 
of Scotland, with the nobility of both realms, met together at 
York; and on Christmas-day the king of Scotland received his 
arms as a knight at the hands of the king of England, and the 
next day he mamed Margaret, the eldest daughter of the said 
king. 

\t this time Alan, the Doreward, and certain others were there 
accused to the king of Scotland, of an intention to betray him; 
whereupon many persons were compelled to resign their offices ; 
and others, in the selfishness of their fear, consulted only their own 
safety, by basely returning homewards. But the king of Scotland, 
acting under the advice of the king of England, conducted himself 
with moderation and honour, and went home with his wife. The 
cause of the accusation was this. The king of England stated that 
he had been informed that the lord Alan, the Doreward (who was 
also at that time the justiciary,) and his accomplices, had despatched 
messengers and presents to the pope, with the request that he 
would legitimatise the daughter which he, the said Alan, had be- 
gotten by the sister of the king, in such manner that if any accident 
should happen to the king of Scotland, they should succeed him in 
the kingdom as its lawful heirs. Had he succeeded in this, he 
would without doubt have been a traitor towards the king and the 
queen. 

A.D. 1252. John, abbot of St. Edward's, resigned his office, and 
Adam, the porter of Melrose, succeeded him. In the same year 

' He waa a benefactor to the monkii of Melrose. See Morton's Monast. Awna^ 
p. 267. 

* The monasteiy of Balmerinach was dedicated to St. Edward, and its inmatet 
were a colony from Melrose. See Spotiswood, p. 424. 



206 CHURCH HlflTORIANS OP BNQIAND. [1.0.1259-^ 

Qeoffirey* abbot of St Servanus, and Robert, abbot of Dere, de- 
parted out of this world, and Henry, prior of Kynlos, was made 
abbot of Dere, and Michael, the porter of the same house, was 
made abbot of St. Servanus. His successor was John de Had- 
dington, monk of St. Servanus. 

A.D. 1253. William, the earl's son, died, and David, bishop of 
St Andrew's, departed out of thb world. Upon his death a dispute 
arose about the election, whereupon, an appeal having been made, 
the prior of St. Andrew's sent his messengers along with his canons 
to the court of Rome, and on the other side the king sent his 
messengers along with master Abel. But this master Abd, valuing 
his own promotion more than the honour of the king or the king- 
d(»n (so it is reported), caused himself to be consecrated bishop by 
the pope, and so he departed from the court. 

Gilbert, bishop of Whithem, died, after whom Henry, abbot of 
Holyrood, was elected ; and Ralph, a canon of the same house, 
was made abbot of Holyrood. 

In this same year Henry, king of England, crossed the sea that 
he might settle the aSairs of hb continental possessions ; he was 
Ic^wed by Alan, the Doreward of Scotland, who bravely attacked 
and overcame the armies of the king of Scotland, in consequence 
of which not only did he recover tibe friendship of the long of 
England, but he became in turn the accuser of his accusers and 
theur accomplices, before the king of En^and. in many pcnnts. 
Hereupon there arose a great dissension among the nobility of the 
kingdom of Scotland, as will appear in what fdlows, 

Robert Grostet, bishop of Lincoln, died. 

A.D. 1254. Master Abel came into Scotland, the king's counsel 
first refusing permission, but afterwards granting it ; and he was 
honourably received in his bishopric ; but during this present year 
he was removed out of this world. 

Master Gamelin, the king's chancellor, was chosen after him by 
the prior and convent of St. Andrew's, and was confirmed in the 
bishopric by the king and his counsellors. 

The king of France returned home from Jerusalem; and 
Edward, the eldest son of the king of England, took to wife the 
daughter of the king of Castile, from whom he received kn^ht- 
hood. Pope Innocent died, and was succeeded by Alexander. 

A.D. 1255. There assembled at Edinburgh, to meet our lord the 
king, on the one side all the nobiUty of Scotland, and on the other 
Alan, the Doreward, and his followers, who were mightily increased 
in number, and pretended that they wished to have a conference 
about the settlement of peace, but their real object was to capture 
the lord their king. They there decided that it was imperative that 
a second meeting should be held at Stirling within the course of a 
few days, and that they would without doubt establish a peace ; 
whereupon the king's counsellors and the other nobility departed, 
for the purpose of making the necessary preparations for so im- 
portant an sdfair. But earl Patrick, and those others who were on 
the opposite side, entered Edinburgh castle in arms, and thrusting 
out all who were of the king's household, they seized their lord the 



A.Sk.lS6e.] CHRONICLE OF KBLROSS. 207 

king, and garrisoned the castle with their own troops, intimating to 
their other associates that they should make preparations to aid 
them in carrying off the king to whatever place they thought most 
expedient ; and this they did with the greatest speed. For there 
had come to them out of England the earl of Gloucester (whose 
name was V.* de Clare), with a body of armed men, and by his advice 
they had committed the said treason; but he was followed by the 
king of England and his wife. When the king's counsellors and 
guardians 1:^ heard that he was taken prisoner, they were exceed* 
ing^y distressed and astonished at such a treasonable act ; and thej 
resolved to call together an army, and to render him assistance, a 
decision which came to the knowledge of their adversaries : so they 
with a high hand carried off the king to Roxburgh, and taking 
possession of the castle there, they entrusted its custody to some 
of their number, who should hold it at their pleasure. They them- 
selves, taking the king and queen with them, went to meet the 
kinff of England at Wark, and after they had held a short and 
amicable preliminary conversation, the king of Scotland returned 
home the same day, but his queen remained there with her mother. 
Upon the invitation of the king of Scotland and his counsellors^ 
the king of England came to Roxburgh upon the day of the 
Assumption of die blessed Mary [15th Aug.], where he was met 
by the king of Scotland, who received him with the greatest joy, 
and brought him into the church of Kelso with a great procession. 
Here, after having held a conference, he entrust^ the king and 
the realm to the earl of Dunbar and hb adherents, and so returned 
to his own country after a kingly banquet had been served. He 
took it ill that the bishop of Gla^ow, and the [bishop] elect of St. 
Andrew's, and V ' Cumin, styled the earl of Menteith, and others 
of the iKrf>ility of the land, refused to affix their seals to a certain 
most wicked writing, which the said conspirators had framed and 
confirmed by their seals, and in which were contained many matters 
which would have worked for the dishonour of the king and the 
kii^om. 

In the same year, on St. Stephen's day, which then fell upon 
a Sunday [26th Dec.], Gamelin was consecrated bishop of St. 
Andrew's, at his own see, by William, bishop of Gla^ow, although 
the king's counsellors sent messengers to prohibit it. Henry, lord 
bishop elect of Whiteheme, was also consecrated by Walter, arch- 
bishop of York, which Walter died this same year, and he was 
succeeded by his dean, master Sewal. John, abbot of Holme, 
died ; he was succeeded by his monk, Henry. 

A.D. 1256. Lord Walleran de Normanvil was buried at Mel- 
rose. Richard, the brother of the king of England, was elected 
emperor of Germany, and Sewal was consecrated. 

In this same year bishop Gamelin was outlawed by the king's 
counsellors, partly because he would not acquiesce in their wicked 

* Such appears to be the readizig of the MS^ but the name of the eail of 
OloQoerter was Bidiazd. See Dugd. Bazoo. L 212, and Ford. L 825. WyntowD, 
L 3S4, is oorrect in this particular. 

' Walter Cumin, who in rig^t of his wife was earl of Menteith. Douglas 
it 228 ; tee alao Fordun, it 90. 



208 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1257— 

designs, partly because he scorned to give a certain sum of money 
as if for the purchase of his bishopric ; and as Scotland had cast him 
out, and England refused him a passage through her territories, he 
vent by sea to France, and thence boldly proceeded to the court of 
Rome against his adversaries. Upon his departure, the king's 
counsellors pillaged the possessions of his see, and dilapidated them 
at their pleasure. 

Peter, bishop of Aberdeen, died, and was succeeded by Richard 
de Pottem. Roger, abbot of Newbottle, died as he was returning 
from the [general] chapter, and was buried at Vallb Dei ; William, 
the prior, was appointed in his stead. 

A.D. 1257. The king of Germany was crowned. 

The king of England attacked the Welsh ; but being defeated by 
them, he returned home. 

This year there came to the pope messengers sent by the guar- 
dians of the king of Scotland, who, on the part of the king, accused 
the bishop of St. Andrew's. After having heard and examined 
both sides, the pope with his own lips pronounced that the bishop 
was guiltless of all the accusations which had unjustly been brought 
against him, and said that he was most worthy of the bishopric; 
and he excommunicated his accuser, and those who had plundered 
and invaded the see ; and he commanded Clement, bishop 
of Dunblane, and M., the abbot of Melrose, and N., the 
abbot of Gedewurth, to promulgate throughout the kingdom of 
Scotland the sentence which he had pronounced against the king's 
counsellors; in the first instance, in general terms, with the tolling 
of bells and with lighted tapers ; and should they continue in their 
contumacy, then by name. They made this denunciation at Stirling; 
and, after many admonitions, they repeated it by name (for they 
refused to repent) in the conventual church of Kambuskinele. 

Now, when all the nobility of Scotland, of whom the leader was 
Walter Cumin, styled earl of Menteith, perceived that their king 
was the constant associate of men who had been excommunicated, 
and becoming apprehensive that the whole land would be placed 
under interdict, they made a rising, and, taking him out of their 
bands at Kinros, they restored him to his kingdom. The master- 
builder of the whole mischief, Alan, the Doreward, when he heard 
of this, became apprehensive of the consequences of his treason in 
laying hands upon his sovereign, and fled to the king of England ; 
but the other accomplices ^ were scattered, some in one direction, 
some in another. 

A.D. 1258. Alexander, king of Scotland, came to Roxburgh with 
his army, to reduce into subjection the rebels and traitors who had 
been excommunicated. They asked for a truce ; and after having 
promised (but in treachery) that they would obey him and his laws, 
they fixed a day, at Forfar, upon which they would amend any act 
of delinquency. Having obtained this delay, they hastened to the 
king of England, and entreated that he would give them counsel 
and assistance against their opponents. In the meantime, the Scots 

^ Here, in the margin of the MS. occurs some wordB, of which the names "de 
Bob et liar " are alone legible." 



JI.D.1268.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 209 

and the Galw^ans who were in the army ate flesh, not only 
during Lent, but even upon Good Friday itself; and on their 
return home they abundantly plundered the country. 

About the same time G.» bishop of St. Andrew's, was re- 
called from his banishment, and restored to his episcopal see. 
Clement,* bishop of Dunblane, died; after whom was elected master 
Robert, sumamed de Prebenda, the dean of the same church. 
Sewal, archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Godefrid, 
the dean of the same church. 

About the Nativity of the blessed Mary [dth Sept.], the king of 
Scotland made a second expedition with his army against the said 
traitors; for he heard that they had arrived from the king of 
£ngland, provided with troops and accompanied by some of the 
English nobilitv. So, while the king of Scotland was waiting for 
his army at Me&ose, there came to him, from the king of England, 
the earl of Hereford, the earl of Albamarl, and John de Balolf. 
Their pretended object was to soothe the people, and to establish 
peace between the said traitors and their opponents ; but it was 
generally reported that their true purpose was to lay hold upon the 
king's person once more, and carry him off with them into England. 
Of this the king of Scotland was aware, and therefore he fixed that the 
day of meeting with them should be upon the morrow at Gedeworth, 
in the forest of which a great portion of his army had already been 
assembled. He had heard that these messei^ers had despatched 
John Maunsel to the castle of Norham, along with a body of 
soldiers and the said traitors. On the morrow they met together 
at Gedeworth; and then occurred a lengthened conference, which 
lasted for nearly three weeks. During its continuance, Robert, 
abbot of Kelso, was removed out of this world, and a monk of the 
same house, named Patrick, was appointed in his stead. The Scots 
and Galwegians ravaged nearly the whole of that country. At the 
end of three weeks, when these messengers perceived that the 
Scottish army was now united and prepared to make a descent 
upon them, it they lingered, and that their forces were inadequate 
to oppose it, they brought about a peace between the traitors whom 
we have mentioned and their opponents ; and thus amity having 
been restored, each one returned to his own home. 

On Michaelmas-day [29th Sept.], William, abbot of Cupre, in 
the humbleness of his devotion, laid down the care of his rule in 
the chapter-house of Melrose; and the government thereof was 
entrusted to "Vraiiam, the cellarer of the same house. Walter 
Cumin, earl of Menteith, died ; also our venerable father William, 
bishop of Gla^ow, departed from this world on the vigil of St. 
Martin [10th Nov.], and was buried at Melrose, near the great 
altar, on the day of St. Brice [13th Nov.]. After him master 
Nicolas, archdeacon of Tevidale, was elected and confirmed by the 
king; after the Purification [2d Feb.], he went to the court of 
Rome to receive the rite of consecration from the pope.* 

^ Fordnn, IL 92, aays be died in 1256. See also Keith, p. 178, where a double 
error may be obeeored. 

' In the margin of the MS^ nearly opposite to this entry, occur a few half- 
deCaoed words, of which *'. . . et J. de Ros ..." are alone legible. 
VOL. IV. p 



210 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.D. 1259. 

A.D. 1259. Master Nicolas, the elect of Gla^ow returned from 
the court of Rome without having obtained the rite of consecration, 
partly because he was unwilling to pay a sum of money which the 
pope and the cardinals demanded from him (for he did not wish to 
seem to have entered into the sheepfold save by the door), and 
partly because those who had accompanied him, apparently for his 
assistance, on the contrary opposed him with all their might. The 
ringleader of these was R., tiie bishop elect of Dunblane, who was 
so lar blinded in his pride as to imagine that if the election of the 
other were quashed, he himself might easily be able to mount up 
to the see of Gla^ow. In this, however, he was disappointed ; for 
master John de Chyum was consecrated, and despatched from the 
pope, de latere, to govern the church of Glasgow. As for this R., he 
was sent off to the bishopric to which he had been consecrated. 
Dt^am, abbot of Newbottle, relinquished his pastoral care, to the 
government of which Adam, cellarer of Melrose, succeeded on the 
day of St. Vincent [22d Jan.]. 

A.D. 1260. Master John, bishop of Glasgow, (having asked and 
obtained permission from the kic^ ol Scotland,) entered into the 
kingdom ; and having been presented to the king, was kindly re- 
ceived by him, and conducted to his see, where he was enthroned 
in state. Also A., abbot of Balmurinach, resigned the govem- 
meat of that establishment (which he could no longer retain, in 
consequence of his infirmity) to his successor Adam, a monk of the 
same house. Patrick, abbot of Kelso, resigned; he was succeeded 
by Henry de Lambeden. Walter, bishop of Durham, died, and was 
succeeded by Robert, a monk of the same house. Margaret,* the 
firstborn daughter of the king of Scotland, was bom in England. 
Michael, abbot of St. Servanus, died, and was succeeded by his 
monk, John. 

A.D. 1261. Pope Alexander died, and was succeeded by Urban. 
Also, Matthew, the sixteenth abbot of Melrose, on the v%il of 
St. James [24th July], in consequence of bodily infirmity, entrusted 
to his prior the custody of his seal, and thus bade adieu to the 
pastoral care. After his resignation, Adam, abbot of Newbottle, 
was unanimously elected by the convent, and installed on the day 
of St. Peter ad Vincula [1st Aug.] ; and the government of New- 
bottle was entrusted to Wido, the porter of the same house. 

A.D. 1262. H., abbot of Dere, was freed from the pastoral care 

of his flock, which was committed 'In this year also died 

the lord T., the son of Raynulf, and Juliana his wife; their bodies 
were brought to the monastery of Melrose, and there honourably 
buried on Holy Thursday [18th May]. In the same year died 
Alan bishop of Argyll, and was succeeded by Lam^nce de Ergadia, 
a brother of the order of the Friars Preachers.* 

> See yariouB documents connected with this subject in the FoddeiBi L 402. 

* A line is here erased from the MS. 

' At the bottom of this page of the MS. are several lines written with a style, 
reUtive apparently to the abbey of Deer, but they are* too much defaced to be 
legible. 



A.n. 1259.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE, 211 



Since (as we are told by Papias, in the third Distinction of 
his Elementary) Chronicles may be defined to be a narrative 
of past occurrences, or (according to another authority) vre 
may style them witnesses for time, the explanation of truth, 
memorials of things worthy of preservation, and the mes- 
sengers of antiquity — after there was laid upon me the care 
of writing these Chronicles, I have thought good to call to 
remembrance some miracles, appending thereto a narrative 
of subsequent events, of which some have been narrated by 
others, some are to be narrated by myself, but all have been 
omitted by those annalists who have had the charge of our 
Chronicles before myself. It is not fitting that these mira- 
cles, -which God has wrought for the abundant merits of 
faithful men of true piety, men of reputation in the convent 
of the monks of Melrose, should be unrecorded in writing. 
Therefore I shall, in the first place, introduce the name 
and memory, of a certain illustrious monk of this same 
monastery. 

In the days of Adam de Harcarres,^ the venerable abbot of 
Melrose, there was another Adam, him whom I have just now 
styled an illustrious monk. He was by birth a Yorkshireman. It 
happened that he was one day in the orchard of this monastery (not 
without a reasonable cause), and as soon as he heard the first stroke 
of the bell which was being rung for evening service, he hastened 
to the church ; and when he was some distance from it, he per- 
ceived that the postern door of the gate — which, when he had last 
passed it, was open — had now been dosed, and securely locked; and 
at the same time the larger gate itself was fastened quite as firmly. 
He did not know what to do ; and as he was standing before the 
gate, in much anguish of heart, lo ! by God's means, that postern 
suddenly opened for him of itself, just as he had been wishing. 
From this we may gather how easily he entered into the kingdom 
of heaven, who was permitted to have the postern gate opened for 
him with so great readiness. O blessed Lady of the heavens ! I 
cannot but imagine, in the lowliness of my conjecture, that this 
wicket had been opened by thee ! For one day, as he was standing 
before thee, opposite the altar of St. Stephen, the protomartyr, it 
was granted hun to see thee, not actually as upon the earth, not 
upon the wall, not dependent upon any corruptible matter, but, as 
the man of God related, he saw thee in the open and spacious body 
of the church, now in motion in the air, now standing motionless, 
according to thy pleasure, before him who there most devoutly 
loved thee, clad in a most beautiful but an exceedingly delicate and 
seamless garment, of the purest white. Thinking that no one 
noticed him, he then bent the knee ; then he made frequent signs 
with the hand, all of them expressive of the joy which he expe- 

* Tnmslated to Melrose 6ih Aug. 1219, and died in 1245. 

p2 



212 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1259. 

rienced in the presence of the beloved one. These gestures were 
perceived by a monk who was standing behind him at some little 
distance; he privately moved his position, fearing that the anger of 
the holy man might possibly be excited against him, on the sup- 
position that he would consider these motions which he was making 
were foolish and excessive. Coming afterwards to him who had 
rejoiced thus before the mother of God, he inquired of him what 
occasioned him so much joy, when, upon such a day and hour, he 
saw him rejoicing before such an altar ? The man of Grod replied : 
" I entreat you, by the power of God and by the mercy of His 
mother, that, as long as I am alive, you mention to no one the 
vision which I have seen, and I will tell you of it." Having dis- 
closed it to him, the monk promised that he would never reveal 
this vision to any one as long as his informant survived. But the 
monk asking why it was that he could not perceive the mother of 
God, since he was standing so near to both of them, the other 
answered thus : " The mother of God reveals herself to none but 
to those who for a long time have waited on her devoutly, and ren- 
dered to her such services as have in themselves the nature of 
good works." 

Concerning this blessed man, it is worth while to relate one 
miracle more, which God performed for him long after his death. 
There was in this monastery of Melrose a certam ancient monk, 
named William de Duns, whose eyes were so closely sealed up 
with blindness, that his eyelids could not be opened, unless either 
he himself, or some other person for him, did so with the hand. 
After he had lamented his loss of sight for many days, at length 
he asked the person who had been appointed to take care of him, to 
conduct him to the tomb of this holy man, of whom I have lately 
made mention; for before his departure out of this world to Christ 
the blind monk had enjoyed the intimate regard of the other. So, 
when he had come to his sepulchre, he fell upon his knees and 

E rayed, saying, " O master Adam, as I truly believe that thou 
ast loved God in this life, and that thou art with Him in the 
life eternal, after having been called from us to Himself, so I entreat 
thee to be pleased to oflfer up prayer for me to Him, that through 
thee I may be enabled to obtain the light of my eyes which I have 
lost, my sins demanding it. Remember, dear friend, how much 
I loved thee in this life, and that I did thee honour to the best of 
my ability." For this blind man had formerly been the sacrist 
of the monastery, and had very frequently supplied his friend with 
such necessaries as he required. After having prayed such and 
such like words, lo! a light of marvellous brightness entered at 
first into one of his temples, and, passing tjirough the closed 
recesses of his eyes, went out by the other temple, as he himself 
informed me. This having occurred in a sudden manner, he rose 
up with his sight perfectly restored; and he returned from the 
tomb of the holy man without requiring the assistance of the guide 
who had led his steps thither. 

'Now that we have seen this preceding miracle respecting the 
holy Adam of York, it is fitting that I should recount a corre- 



.A^D. 12a0.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 21S 

^spending miracle connected with another monk of ours, whose 
name likewise was Adam, a native of Lewenax [Lennox]. It is 
reported, that so great was his holiness, that during the twenty 
years which he spent at Old Melrose, he was never seen or known 
to go into bed nor out of bed. The plain proof of this was, that it 
was clearly perceived that the straw, over which were placed the 
sheets of that pretended sleeping-place of his, remained constantly 
in the same unchanged condition for the whole of this space of 
time. But since it was God's good pleasure that this most excels 
lent man should not fall into the sin of hypocrisy, the straw which 
was laid upon his bed sometimes — though rarely — crumbled into 
dust from old age; and then the man of God commanded that 
new straw should be laid upon the top of the old, just as if it was 
his intention to break through his custom, and to sleep upon his 
bed. He did, however, go to sleep; but the little time that he 
spent in sleep was passed by him in a sitting posture, or prostrate 
before the altar of the blessed Virgin, the mother of God; where 
also it was his custom to spend the greater part of the winter 
nights in playing upon the harp and singing songs (which are called 
•' Molets "), written in honour of the holy virgin-mother. During 
the day-time he sat for the most part near the church-door, going 
daily dirough the psalter according to custom, and close by his 
hand there always stood a basket, in which there was such an 
abundant supply of loaves, that no poor man was permitted to go 
away from his presence either complaining or unrelieved, but he 
always carried something away with him. Therefore, as he himself 
used to say, he thought himself fortunate in having such a full 
store of provisions laid up for him by those poor persons who 
kept flocking to him ; and this, by means of the bread which he 
dbtributed to them. The rich also came to him, and even the 
king of the land, that Alexander who lies buried within the church 
of Melrose, as well as many others, drawn by respect for his 
holiness, earnestly entreating that he would take as much of their 
wealth as he thought fitting, but this he very seldom consented to 
do; however, he sometimes accepted a few of their cows, that he 
might supply the poor with milk when they came to him. He 
himself had two cows belonging to the monastery, and they 
afforded a supply of milk sufficient for himself and his associate. 
The immediate cause which brought the nobles of the land to him 
was, that they might confess their sins to him and receive his 
blessing; and many persons thought that his holy benediction 
would profit them mudi. 

A.D. 1260. Henry de Lamden, the chamberlain of the monas* 
tery of Kelso, returned from the court of Rome, bringing with him 
papal letters, the import of which was, that upon the production 
of the papal mandate, Patrick, the lord abbot, who at that time pre- 
sided over the said monastery, should forthwith resign in favour of 
the person who delivered it, and whose name was Henry ; and this 
he immediately obeyed. For upon the very same day upon which 
the said Henry entered the house of Kelso, without any further 



214 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. B. 1260— 

delay Patrick placed upon the high altar of that monastery the 
pontifical badges with which he had been invested; and these the 
aforesaid Henry forthwith assumed in virtue of the grant from the 
pope. Let him take heed as to the mode by which he entered 
upon that pastoral charge ; for afterwards, whether by the anger of 
God or in his good pleasure we know not, he was carried off by 
a sudden death as he was sitting at his own table and had just put 
the first morsel into his mouth; and immediately after the second 
meal of the convent he was committed to the grave on the same 
day, possibly because they did not wish to watch around his body. 

A.D. 1261. Our venerable father Matthew, the lord abbot of 
Melrose, was deposed in the chapter-house of Rievaux, though he 
was absent; and this was done without the counsel, nay, without 
the knowledge, of a single living soul in Scotland; and his deposi- 
tion in this sort occasioned much grief as well to the monks as the 
lay brethren of the monastery of Melrose, for in their opinion he 
had no fault in him which was worthy of such an act of deposition. 
The father abbot, however, was content that he should be thus 
dealt with, in consequence of some presentments which had been 
made against him, and which to him appeared to be valid. After 
his deposition had been announced, that same father abbot absolved, 
in the chapter which was held upon the day of his deposition, all 
the monks of Melrose from the obedience and the professions 
which they had made to him. Alas! that it should be so; for this 
good Matthew (who was a revered and open-handed man) had been 
the means of procuring for the house of Melrose some property 
and many comforts; it is through him that we have pittance- 
loaves upon the Fridays during Lent, when we fast on bread and 
water. It was he who built our large houses in Berwick, as also 
many cow-houses, many houses for oxen, and the great chamber 
for die abbot which stands by the bank of the river, as well as 
many other edifices. 

A. D. 1 263. Haco,' king of Norway, supported by a large number 
of ships, came by the western sea to attacK the king of Scotland ; 
bat of a truth, as the same Haco admitted, it was not man's 
power which drove him away, but the power of God which crushed 
his ships, and sent a pestilence amongst his troops. Such of them 
as mustered to engage on the third day after the feast of Michaelmas 
[2d Oct.], God defeated and slew by means of the foot-men of 
die country. Thus they were compelled to carry off their wounded 
and slain to their ships, and to return home in more disgraceful 
plight than they had left it. 

In this year, upon the day of St. Agnes [21st Jan.], the queen 
of Scotland (being then at Gedeworth), gave birth to a son, who, 
at his father's desire, was named Alexander, when he was baptized 
by Gamelin, bishop of St. Andrew's. And it happened that on the 
same day upon which the king of Scotland was informed that God 
had given him a son, intelligence also arrived that the king of 

1 Fordun, ii. 97. In consequence of an error in Gale's edition, the date of this 
irruption has been considered uncertain by Qoodall and Lord HaUes. It happened 
in 1263. 



A.B.12e8.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 215 

Norway was dead. Rejoiced by these twofold tidings of joy, the 
long gave thanks to God, who exalts the humble and humbles the 
proud. 

The Abbots op Melrose: — 

Richard. Hugh de Clippestun, on the ides 
Waltheve. of May [15th May], a. d. 

William. mccxiv. 

Josceline. William. 

Laurence. Ralph. 

Elmald. Ad^mi de Harkarres. 

Reiner. Matthew. 

Ralph. Adam de Macston. 

William. John de Hederham. 

Patrick. Robert de Keldeleth, formeriy 
Adam. abbot of Dunfermlin. 

Patrick de Selkirk. 

Bishops who were taken prom the house op Melrose: — 

Simon, the monk of Toney, to the bishopric of Moray. 
Abbot Josceline, to the bishopric of Glasgow. ^ 

Reinald, the monk, to the bishopric of Ross. 
Ralph, the abbot, to the bishopric of Down. 
Adam, the abbot, to the bishopric of Caithness. 
Gilbert, the monk, to the bishopric of Galloway. 

A.D. 1263. Elianor, queen of England, (who was believed to be 
the root, the originator, and the sower of all the discord which 
existed between Henry, the king of England, and the barons of 
his reakn,) being apprehensive of the barons, went out of England; 
and she was followed, a few days afterwards, by John Maunsel,' the 
chief counsellor of the king, who was awed by the same fear. 
When they had crossed the sea and arrived in France, the said 
Elianor collected such a countless multitude of people from out 
of every nation, that they appeared to cover the whole face of the 
earth. Their intention was to attack England, and to destroy from 
off the surface of the land all who dwelt upon it. When they 
reached the sea-coasts of France, Normandy, and Flanders, they 
were forced to tarry there so long, that almost all of them were at 
last obliged by their wants to sell their horses, their saddles, their 
clothing, and nearly every single article of every kind which they 
had brought with them; for God directed that a very strong north 
wind should set in, and blow violently night and day, without 
intermission, for two months and more, so diat they could not by 
any means cross over into England. Hereupon, perceiving that 
the power of God was decidedly opposed to them, every man of 
them returned to his own home at the end of the second month, 
with the exception of the many who died by the road. 

In this same year the Englbh barons, who for the last twelve 

* See Biahaogei^i Continuation of M. Paru, pp. 667, C68. 



21G CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.11. 1264. 

months had been preparing themselves for a mortal struggle, laid 
hands, by right or wrong, upon whatever came within their reach. 
Herein they resembled fishes, who (as Aristotle' states in his fourth 
book upon Animals) devour whatever they can catch. 

A.D. 1264. At the battle of Lewis, the barons of England (in 
conjunction with the army of the Londoners, and aided by Gilbert, 
earl of Gloucester) gained the victory over their king Henry and 
his eldest son Edward, shortly after Easter. On the day after the 
battle, the barons gave both of them — I mean, the king and his 
son — ^into the custody of Simon de M ontfort. In this same fight, 
two of the Scottish nobility, Robert de Brus * and John Cumin,' 
were taken prisoners, and placed in close confinement in the castle 
of Dora. The disagreement out of which originated this struggle 
between the king and his barons, had its beginning and its end 
in this, that the king and his queen Elianor, die mother of prince 
Edward, had for a long time retained near them and favoured the 
foreigners, so far as to be guided by their counsels; and this contrary 
to the interests of the kingdom and the wishes of the inhabitants, 
whose remonstrances they rejected— one may almost say, despised. 
It was for the purpose, then, of entirely expeUing these foreigners 
from the kingdom of England that the said battle was fought ; for 
so powerful had they become against the inhabitants of the land, 
that they had caused many persons to be disinherited. After the 
barons had gained the victory, as we have related, forthwith all the 
foreigners bsmished themselves, except Simon de Montfort, and 
a few others who remained with him ; and all these had faithfully 
promised by an oath, made upon the Grospels, that they would 
adhere to the party of the barons. This Simon was earl of Leices- 
ter, and the son-in-law * to the king ; he was an excellent man, 
wonderfully skilled and circumspect in inakmg arrangements for 
military affairs, and in carrying them out into execution after they 
were planned. He was a good soldier, and also had been knighted; 
and from these considerations the barons selected him to direct 
them, as well in their counsels as in the war. By birth he was a 
Frenchman, descended from one of the most noble and powerful 
families of the whole of France ; and he did not degenerate from 
his ancestors, but equalled them. He was a man endowed with 
heavenly wisdom, and amply provided with knowing precautions. 
It may be worth while to introduce an account of one of these. 

A few days before this Simon set out against the king, with the 
army of the Londoners, whom he was about to lead to the battle 
which we have mentioned, he caused a cunningly-devised chariot 
to be built, the whole of the outside of which he had covered with 
iron, and into it he thrust two of the citizens of London: they 
were old men, of some influence, but they were opposed to him 
and to the whole city; for they frequently dissuaded the people 
from going out with Simon against the king. And therefore it was 
that when this came to the ears of Simon, he shut them up as 

' Aristotiles de Natura Animalium, lib. iv. cap. zii. edit. Aid. foL Yenei. 1504. 

' Dugd. Baron, i. 450. ' Douglas's Peerage, L 161. 

* He had manied Alianor, thf> siater of Henry III. £>ugd. Baron. L 572. 



A.!>. 1264.} CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 217 

T have described, as a punishment for this wicked, foolish, and 
obstinate advice. Now, when the said army was about to leave the 
city, Simon took with him, in their carriage, these crafty orators, in 
order that they might not cause the city to surrender to the royal 
interest while the army of the Londoners was employed in die 
expedition against the king. The chariot had a little narrow door» 
through which these aged persons could go out and in, but still under 
watchful custody, when the necessities of nature so required it. On 
the evening of the day previous to that upon which the battle was 
fou^t between the king and the barons, when it grew towards 
na^tfall, the entrance to this chariot, through which victuals used 
to be conveyed to these burgesses, was so firmly closed up by 
Simon's orders, that from that time they had no longer any oppor- 
tunity whatever of issuing forth. Round about that chariot Simon 
had caused to be hung those standards which are called penons, 
that by this means the king and his army might be deluded into 
the belief that Simon was in the chariot ; in which, however, the 
true Simon was not : for at that very time he was lurking about in 
woods, which were surrounded with mountains and steep rocks, at 
some distance from the town of Lewis, somewhat towards the 
direction of the south-west of England, in company with the earl 
of Gloucester, and some few others of the nobili^; along with 
whom were the barons of nearly the whole of England, and very 
many renowned knights, many horse-soldiers, and foot-soldiers 
innumerable, amongst whom was a large body of cross-bowmen 
and slingers, who in the day of battle would occasion great con- 
fusion to the king's army by the showers of stones which they 
would throw, like thunderbolts, from those sUngs of theirs. 

Among the noble persons whom I have mentioned, was the 
bishop of Worcester ; he was afterwards banished, because he had 
so far reversed the episcopal character as to put aside the meek- 
ness of the bbhop, and assume the warlike quaUties of the knight, 
wearing at his side a sword instead of carrying the pastoral stsiff, 
and having a helmet on his head instead of a mitre. 

So, when the king went out to battle against the barons, those 
wh6 were the more forward in the army noticed those penons 
which I have mentioned as having been hung round about the 
chariot, and they pressed forward to reach it. The Londoners had 
already told the royal army that within the chariot sat Simon, 
whom they had appointed as their leader in the battle ; and they 
added : " He has resolved to keep behind us, and he refuses to go 
out with us to fight for us as he promised. We are very suspicious 
about him on this account, for he pretends that he is so ill that he 
cannot mount his horse. In truth, we were apprehensive that 
he would betray us to the king, his son-in-law, and that he would 
attack us on the rear, along with the royal army; and therefore we 
have caused this very strong chariot to be made, so that if we must 
needs die in battle, he shall die with us ; for we will put plenty of fuel 
beneath this chariot in which he is, and bum him within it." 

Emboldened by such words, those persons whom I have described 
as being the more forward in the royal army, pressed forward to 



218 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a.]X 1264— 

reach this conveyance in which Simon was, as they believed. 
Whilst they were engaged with all their energies in attacking this 
fraudulent vehicle, and made no progress in their assault, they lost 
ground and courage at one and the same time. As for the chariot, 
it was of great assistance to the Londoners ; for, whilst very many 
of the ki^s army were endeavouring widi all their strength to 
break it open, the Uves of those whom I have described as the 
Londoners, as well far off as near at hand, were saved ; for the 
barons had not as yet come up and joined them, and therefore, 
during the delay occasioned by this interval of suspense, whUe the 
assault was being made upon this deceptive conveyance, many of 
the Londoners were not engaged in the action. So when the army 
of the barons came up, and assailed the king's army on the rear, a 
large proportion of the Londoners who had been drawn up in front 
of the king's army (such of them especially as were near the 
chariot) preserved their strength unabated; and they afterwards 
fought all the more effectively against the exhausted soldiers who 
were on the king's side. This deceptive piece of baggage had been 
constructed partly with the very intention that it might act as 
a device which should prove for the security of the inhabitants of 
the city of London ; for though the royal troops were earnestly 
engaged in assailing it with all their energies, they entirely failed, 
and at the same time the Londoners continued fresh and vigorous, 
and ready for the battle. The effort was continued for nearly the 
whole day, ahnost to the eighth hour, by the royal troops, who 
attempted from every point of assault to make themselves masters 
of this chariot, in which, as they believed, Simon was cooped up ; 
and in so doing they lost many men of undaunted courage, many 
others of their knights were grievously wounded, much labour was 
lost, and much anxiety bestowed upon it, as one troop followed 
another. The best of the king's forces seemed to have been seized 
with madness, and they rent &e air with the wildest shouts, crying 
out, " Come out, Simon ; come out ! " Their impression was that 
Simon had some device by which he could open the door from 
within, so as to be able to leave the carriage ; and therefore they 
kept crying out continually, " Come out, Simon, you devil ! come 
out of the carriage !" "Whilst they continued these shouts at the 
top of their voices, at last the two citizens of London, who were 
within, contrived to make them understand that Simon, whom 
they were seeking, was not there, but only two unfortunates, whom 
Simon had entrapped out of spite to the king; " for he was appre- 
hensive," said they, " that the city of London would have been 
surrendered to the king's service by our means, had we remained 
at home in our houses, whilst the others went out to fight against 
the royal troops." 

No man in his sound senses ought to believe that this Simon 
was a traitor, or to call him one. He was no traitor, but a most 
devoted respecter and most faithful protector of the church of Grod 
which is in England, and the shield and defender of the nation of 
the English people, and the enemy of the foreigners, whom he 
drove out of tliis country, though he was himself by birth a 



A.1X1286.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 219 

foreigner. It was an act of justice, then, not of treachery/ when 
he carried off in the chariot these two Englishmen, who tnwarted 
his efforts by their endeavour to prevent the city of London (which 
is of greater importance than all the towns and chariots in the 
world) from rendering assistance to the barons ; since they could 
not by any means accomplish the expulsion of the aliens, unless 
they had the most valuable cooperation of that important city; 
deprived of which, they would have been surrounded on all sicfes 
by the power of the king's party. Since these old men whom we 
have mentioned ventured thus singly to oppose themselves to the 
united sentiments of the whole city, they ought, by God's just 
judgment, to have perished outside the city, if they and their 
chariot had been burnt in the fire. 

In this battle many thousand men were killed, foot-soldiers and 
horsemen. In this battle, Richard, earl of Cornwall, the brother 
of king Henry (who a few days previously had defied the barons to 
battle, styling diem traitors to the king and the kingdom), being 
apprehensive of his life, took refuge in a windmill,' and there he 
barred the door upon himself. When it was near eventide, on the 
day of the battle, the barons came up to it, and called out loudly 
to him, " Come down, come down, you wretched miller ! Come 
out of your mill — come out!" They upbraided him with his 
timidity and cowardice, and added, " It is a great misfortune to 
you that you must be called a miller — ^you who so lately defied 
us poor barons to battle ; and when you defied us, no less glorious 
title would serve you than that of the king of the Romans and 
perpetual Augustus ! " For a short time previously he had been the 
king of Germany, in consequence of which he styled himself " the 
perpetual Augustus and the king of the Romans." So Richard at 
last did come out of the mill, and the barons carried him off, after 
they had put him in chains ; and then they placed him in dose 
confinement. But it happened that as he was exceedingly wealthy^ 
he was liberated, about five months afterwards, by the payment of 
a large ransom, no less than seventeen thousand pounds of sterlings 
and five thousand pounds of eold — a sum worth having. 

A.D. 1265. During the reign of Alexander the third, the king 
of the Scots, Reginald de Roxburgh,' a monk of Melrose, (a man 
celebrated for his eloquence, and possessed of excellent discretion,) 
set out for Norway, to which he was despatched by the same king. 
His object was to obtain possession of the isle of Man (which was 
formeny called Regio), and which, with the many contiguous little 
islands, had belonged to the realm of Scotland. On his arrival there 
he was received with the greatest distinction by the king, who sum- 
moned all the nobility of the land to meet him for the holding of 
a conference, and there he discussed with them the matter 'of 
these islands. During the progress of the treaty the king remarked 
that it was very important for the preservation of peace that these 

' A contemporaneous ballad, satirizing this circumstance, is printed in Whar- 
ton's History of English Poetry, L 47. 

* The Norwegian account of this expedition, printed by Johnstone, dedgnates 
the ambassador as an arohdeaoon, and giyes a different colouring to .the whole 
tnosaetion. 



220 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.D.1265-r- 

islands should be sold to the king of the Scots ; and when the 
nobles heard this remark, some assented to it, and some opposed it. 
The wishes of the former prevailed, however, and at the last they 
came to a unanimous conclusion that they should be disposed of 
to the king, as he wished. Thus an agreement was entered into 
between these two kings, by which composition this is the import: 
that the king of Scotland shall pay to the king of Norway, each 
year for ever, one hundred pounds of sterlings, as a recognition of 
the homage made to the king of Norway by the said Alexander, 
king of Scotland. For greater security, the latter paid down 
at once to the king of Norway four thousand marks, and the 
Icing of Norway received these at one payment in the isle of 
Orkney, by the hands of the bishop of that island, for the islands 
aforesaid. 

A.D. 1266. Ranald, the monk of Melrose already mentioned, 
returned from Norway, having accomplished to his entire satis- 
faction every article in the negotiations for which he had been 
despatched. With the sole exception of this monk, none of the 
children of the Scots had ever been able to bring about this result; 
for he was a wise man, and exceedingly clear in his exposition of 
the Scriptures ; and he has truly earned for the house to which 
he belongs, the constant grace and favour of all future kings of 
Scotland, unless it should happen that these sovereigns should 
prove ungrateful, and return evil for good to the house of Melrose, 
which may God turn away from the heart of every Christian 
king! 

In this same year the chancellor of the lord king of Norway 
followed this monk into Scotland, and brought with Imn the treaty 
already mentioned. 

A.D. 1267. Adam de Maxstun, the lord abbot of MeLrose» was 
deposed in the general chapter ; he it was who had deposed from 
the chapter of die order a son of his own, the abbot of Holm, 
and thus provoked the same punishment of deposition upon him- 
self which he had inflicted upon this said abbot of Holm; and he 
well deserved his sentence,, for he had procured the deposition of 
his own abbot, Henry, who, however, was restored to his former 
seal by the chapter. The deposed abbot of Melrose was succeeded 
by John de Ederham, the master of the lay-brethren of the same 
house. 

James, abbot of Citeaux, was deposed in the general chapter ; 
his deposition was procured by the convent of Citeaux, but after- 
wards this same deposed abbot became archbishop of Narbonnc, 
in Gascony, and he was succeeded in his abbey by John» abbot of 
Savigny. 

•Adam de Smalham, the lord abbot of Dere, a monk of Melrose, 
voluntarily laid down his office, preferring the sweets of Melrose, 
of which he had already had experience, to the duty of presiding 
over the petty convent of the monks of Dere ; in the warmth of 
whose devotion he could never feel any assured confidence. Hugh, 
the cellarer of the same house, succeeded him. 

A.D. 1268. Edward, the eldest son of the king of England. 



XD.1268.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 221 

having escaped from the custody of Simon (which he did one 
evening when he went out into the fields for recreation with a very 
few persons of Simon's household), joined himself with many of 
the marchmen who had long held lands under him in the marches 
[of Wales], that is to say, in the county of Chester, and by them 
he was welcomed with immense joy. After having remained with 
them for two days, he hastened to the earl of Gloucester to procure 
the liberation of his father ; on his arrival the earl received him 
with sufficient respect. While they were eventually discussing the 
king's detention in the hands of Simon, and the prince begged the 
earl to aid him in the liberation of the king, the earl promised that 
he would place all his army at the king's disposal. He collected 
his troops with the greatest expedition, and he marched with all 
haste against Simon, along with Edward and his marchers. At 
this juncture Simon was at Hereford, and the kine was kept there 
in constraint along with him. 

Now, as soon as Simon discovered that the earl of Gloucester 
was on the eve of marching against him along with his army to 
attack him, he sent without delay to such of the nobles as had 
continued firmly attached to the side of the barons in the late 
battle. As soon as this message reached the nobles and barons 
they were aghast at the unexpected escape of Edward, and they 
immediately went to Simon, whom they joined at Evesham, upon 
the day appointed. Using that degree of caution which the circum- 
stances required, Simon had left his son (who bore the same name) 
in one of the chiefest strongholds in all England, that is to say, in 
the castle of Kellingiswurthe [Kenil worth], together with many of 
die armed nobility, that if it so happened that Edward should attack 
Simon the father in the front, Simon the son and his army should 
assail Edward in the rear. And this plan would have been carried 
out, but for the treachery of a certain knight, who betrayed to Edward 
the arrangement of Simon the elder respecting the large body of 
armed men who were in the said castle. 

Having intimation beforehand, through the intelligence of this 
traitor, that the armed men were to march out of the castle while it 
was yet daylight, and that they intended passing the night in the 
town which was close at hand, he that very night despatched a 
detachment from the army which he had collected to intercept 
the troops of Simon, who (as we have mentioned) had the day 
before, unfortunately for themselves, abandoned the castle, meaning 
to sleep in the various dwelling-houses which were in its immediate 
proximity. Their object in leaving the castle was this, that when 
they rose up from their beds early in the morning, they might have 
the comfort of a satisfactory bath, which would make them all the 
fitter for the battle on the morrow ; for the town afibrded much 
more accommodation for the purpose of bathing, in the way of 
baths, than they could expect to find within the walls of the castle. 
And this was the motive which induced them to abandon that 
strongly-fortified castle of Simon's ; and when the knight (whom 
we have mentioned as having betrayed the circumstance of their 
departure to Edward) made him acquainted with the fact, he did 



222 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1268. 

not fail to state that baths had been provided for them within the 
town. 

So it was, that towards midnight a loud cry was raised through- 
out the whole town when Edward's soldiers rushed in upon the 
sleeping troops of Simon. When they heard the noise, they were 
beyond measure terrified by the outcry ; for fear and tFembling, 
terror and apprehension, seized them when they heard the noise of 
horses, and their riders calling out for them, and saying, " Gret up, 
get up, rise from your beds, and come out, ye traitors I You are 
die followers of that deep-dyed renegade, Simon, and, by the death 
of God, you are all dead men ! " Thus these persons who had 
been so shamefully betrayed all rose up, and escaped by the backs 
of the houses, leaving behind them their horses, their arms, their 
clothes, and all the baggage which thev possessed. Had you been 
there you might have seen some of them running off entirely 
naked, others with nothing upon them save a pair of breeches, 
others in their shirts and drawers ; and of all of them there were 
very few, perhaps not one, who was so fortunate as to be able to 
dr^ entirely. Many of them carried off their clothes under their 
arms ; and just as they had hurried out of the house in the hottest 
haste in this plight (God in his infinite mercy giving them their 
lives), Edward's armed soldiers rushed in and made plunder of the 
horses, and armour, and everything else which (as we have said) 
had been left behind them by the fugitives. 

In the morning the foot-soldia^, who the day before had fdlowed 
at the tails of the knights' horses, clothed themselves in the armour 
of those noblemen who had escaped, and mounted their horses. 
You might there have seen the accomplishment of the prophecy 
of the Preacher, " I have seen servants upon horses, and princes 
walking as servants upon the earth." [Ecd. x. 7.] Wl^n all 
these rascally fellows came to Edward, well armed, and riding upon 
the horses of the noblemen, he rejoiced with an exceeding great 
joy ; and so Edward marched with a large army towards Evesham, 
against Simon. 

When he had come within two miles of Evesham, Simon came 
out to oppose him ; hoping where there was no hope. For, as I 
have already mentioned, he had trusted that his son Simon (who had 
fled with the others) would join him, and assist him, by attacking 
Edward on the rear ; and so he went out, with the Uttle army 
which he had. It marched forward boldly ; but all who were with 
him, before going out to the battle, had made confession, and had 
communicated in the viaticum of the holy Eucharist. Edward 
had six or seven men, where Simon had scarce two. 

Then the powerful and terrible army of Edward, and the insig- 
nificant troop of Simon de Montfort, joined in battle ; the latter 
being preceded by that bold knight, Guy de Balliol, carrying 
Simon's standard. Close by him was Simon's eldest son, Henry, 
a gallant knight, who had been so named after king Henry. It 
was he who struck the first blow in the batde; the blow was 
returned, and he was the first of the many who fell there and 
died, for he was pierced by several mortal wounds, inflicted by 



jL0ilS6&] CHRONICLE OP ICELROSK. 223 

various hands. On the side of Edward very few fell, on account 
of the multitude of the soldiers who were on the side of the eoa- 
quenu^ ; but on the other side nearly all were slain, along with 
Simon himself, because their numbers were so few, and they were 
so soon exhausted. A few only escaped, by surrendenng to 
Edward's soldiers, and laying down their arms. That Guy, whom 
I have lately mentioned as a valiant Scottish knight, might then 
have been saved from a temporal death, but he would not ; he was 
killed, as well as a great number of the English nobility, who had 
come out to fight for justice to England ; and of the rightfulness 
of their cause no greater proof could be given than that afterwards 
frequent miracles were wrought, as well by Hugh Despenser, the 
chief jtistice of England, (a man most just and equitable in every 
decision, as well in regard to the poor as the rich,) as also by 
Simon, and some others, who kept their faith to God, even to the 
death, for the sake of justice to the realm of England ; and this 
they had rightly undertaken, to preserve against the foreigners, and 
even against the king himself, who had wrongfully kept them back 
(as we have already mentioned) from receiving the remission of 
their sins at the hands of that holy man, Robert Grostete, bishop 
of Lincoln, in the edict made respecting the battle of Lewis. Since 
then they were fighting for a just cause, they died in justice ; and 
therefore, after their deaths, some of them were permitted by God 
to work miracles, and so to preserve for themselves glory and 
veneration ; in consequence of which it is believed that they are 
reigning with God in glory. Amongst these valiant heroes was 
Rc^ de Rewle, a companion of the Guy whom we have men- 
tioned, and who also, like him, was killed. 

As for king Henry (who, by his undue partiality for foreigners, 
had inflicted an injury upon Elngland), he went out in arms to 
engage in this battle against Simon, in order to restore justice to 
Eln^andt wearing, however, the armour of some other person; 
I mi^t have said that the king had gone out to fight for the justice 
of England, unless his escape from the battle, and his restoration 
to his kingly power, would have enabled him once more to have 
collected aliens against bom Englishmen, and so the last error 
should be worse than the first. It seems then to have been the 
intention of the barons that the king should die along with them, 
should it have become necessary that they should fall in the battle 
in which the king was engaged ; their plan was that he should be 
unknown to his own adherents, and should fall under the heavy 
weight of their blows. Being unable to fight like the others, he 
kept calling out at the extent of his voice, " I am Henry, the old 
king of En^and ; " swearing sometimes " by the love of God ! " 
at other times "by God's head!" and constantly affirming that he 
was the king ; and he exclaimed to the men who were striking at 
him, " Do not hit me, for I am too old to fight." It was his use 
and wont to swear such oaths as these. As he was making use of 
these exclamations, they took his helmet from off his head ; and 
discovering by his countenance that he really was the king, he was 
removed out of the battle, and on the day following he was restored 



224 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.ILl26ai 

to his kingdom, to the great satisfaction of the enemies of Simon 
and the barons who had been killed. A few weeks afterwards^ 
when the king was enabled to actaccording to the uncontrolled wishes 
of himself and some of his nobility, he outlawed from his kingdom 
his own sister, the wife of Simon, along with her daughter, a most 
beautiful damsel, who afterwards married the prince of Wales, and 
three sons of the same Simon. 

Thus, upon the death of Simon and Hugh Despenser, and the 
other nobles of the land, there was a great lamentation among the 
people of England ; but this was afterwards turned to equal joy, while 
the mighty acts of God were shone forth in the precious death of 
his saints. For God gave many miracles of the undoubted holiness 
of Hugh : at his tomb the blind received their sight, th^ lame 
walked, and many were the wonders which God performed for him ; 
a privilege which he had obtained from God, for he was always 
truly just, to the best of his ability, as far as regards his dealings, 
both towards God and man, a course from which he could never 
be withdrawn. So therefore, after his death, God worked divine 
wonders through him ; for during his whole life, up to the hour of 
his death, he always held the accurate line of truth. 

But did the Almighty God leave Simon unprovided with the 
power of working miracles ? ^ Certainly not. Therefore we have 
thought it good to introduce here an account of a few of these 
miracles, which were done by him through God's power. 

It happened that immediately after he had been killed^ and 
stripped of the arms in which he had been dad, some of the sons 
of Belial came up and cut the hands and feet off the corpse ; 
and it is respecting one of the hands that the following narrative is 
told: — ^There was a certain man belonging to the frontier lands 
[of Wales], an inhabitant of the county of Chester, who had been 
in the battle of Evesham, along with Edward, and who, after the 
battle, became possessed of this hand of Simon's, about which 
I have been speeiking. He sent it to his wife by a companion as 
wicked as himself, thinking that she would be rejoiced at the 
death of their enemy, of which this hand was a conclusive proof. 
The attendant, on his arrival at his master's farm, did not find 
the lady of the farm at home, but he hastened on to the parish 
church, where she was, which was situated at no great distance 
from his lord's dwelling-house. When he arrived there, carrying 
in his bosom the said hand, wrapped up in a cloth, he went up to 
the lady, and, whispering in her ear, he told her of the death of 
Simon, and he added, " See, here is a token that he is killed," 
intending to show her the hand which had been cut off. But the 
woman, not Uking to be put to the blush, or perhaps fearing God, 
refused at that time either to look at the hand or to touch it, although 
the retainer of her husband earnestly urged her to take what he 

' The miracles ascribed to Simon de Montfort have been coUecied by some 
admirer of his sanctity, and a copy of them is contuned in the Cottonian MS. 
Vesp. A. vi. foL 168, from which they have been printed aa an appendix to the 
Chronicle of Rishanger, in the Camden Society's edition, 4ta Lond. 1840. Tyrrell, 
in his History of Kngland, refers to what appears to be another copy, which 
occurs in the Public Library at Cambridge. 



i.1».1268.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 225 

iiad brought, and keep it in her own possession. As he was 
entreating her to act thus wickedly, the lady said, " Keep it 
covered up until divine service is finished." Obeying his lady's 
commands, he withdrew, and took his place among the crowd, 
that he might hear the mass ; and it happened that at the eleva- 
tion of the blessed host, as the people were lifting up their hands, 
this attendant also lifted up his hand to adore the Lord, whom 
the priest had just elevated. Behold ! the hand of the holy 
man, whom this servant of a bondslave of the devil was carrying, 
was, without any assistance whatever on his part, raised up above 
his head by God's power, in order that thus the supremacy of his 
exaltation might be perceived all the more clearly, towering above 
every head, even that of the tallest man of all the multitude there 
assembled. And having thus adored the Lord of Majesty at his 
elevation, as I have stated, when [the priest] bowed himseU before the 
altar to adore the Lord, quicker than language can express, it again 
stooped to the same place whence it had gone out, not without the 
power of God, for the cloth into which it had been sewn was found 
to be as firmly stitched together as it had been at the first, nor 
could the bearer discover any alteration in it. Deliberating upon . 
the wondrous nature of this miracle, the woman, of whom I have 
spoken, feared God, and said to the attendant after mass had 
ended, " Carry back to my husband that hand which he has sent 
me by you, for it shall never cross my door." For she had been 
stricken with a wonderful astonishment at the sight of such an 
unprecedented and unheard-of miracle ; and therefore she said to 
her husband's retainer, " The man, whoever he is, who cut ofi* that 
hand, deserves the severest punishment;" and then she privately told 
the messenger about the vision which she had seen ; for although 
many of the faithful of Christ who were there present had seen it, 
yet this privilege had not been vouchsafed to all of them ; and she 
commanded him honestly to tell his lord, when he returned to 
him, about the vision of which he had heard. Then the ser- 
vant hastened off upon his return to his master, carrying the 
hand with which he had been entrusted; for he had not even 
entered the house of his mistress, as she had vowed, in conse- 
quence of the hand of which he was the bearer. Hence it appears 
that she was one of those foolish virgins, who, in their folly, re- 
jected this hallowed hand; yet this was not done without the 
counsel of God, who disposes every action* For that son of 
Belial, her husband, was unworthy to have in his house a hand of 
such exceeding sanctity ; and so it was believed that it had passed 
over, by God's providence, to an owner much more worthy of it. 
But how or where it is, I am entirely ignorant ; yet of this I am 
sure, and this I fiirmly believe, that at the daily elevation of the 
health-giving host this Simon, during his lifetime, was in the con- 
stant habit of raising up his hands with the most intense devotion, 
with the most earnest love towards Christ ; and that he raised up his 
hands in this spirit of devotion, the surest and most infallible token 
which we can have is this, that, as has been recounted, his dead 
hand was raised up in adoration of the Redeemer of the world, 

VOL. IV. Q 



226 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP XNOIAND. [a.D. USa 

who was bom of a most dean Virgin. Hence it is that I call to 
remembrance the remark which occurs in that little treatise written 
about the battle of Lewis, to the effect that Simon was endowed 
with divine wisdom; for what can a man do in this life which is 
wiser, truer, and better, than to love, honour, and adore his Creator 
from his inmost heart? That Simon did this I doubt not, and 
therefore I conclude this miracle, and hasten on to recount another 
which the Almighty God did through his instrumentality. The 
hands of this man are surely much more holy in the sight of God 
than the hands of Scipio which Seneca adored, as appears in the 
last chapter of the twelfth book of a treatise " On the Twelve 
Degrees," of which Seneca himself is the author. 

Close bya certain town in Northumberland is a celebrated house of 
the canons- of the Premonstratensian' order, who there serve God. 
One of Simon's feet was carried to this house by a man erf hxppj 
memorv, the lord John de Wescy, the lord of the boroogh ot 
AlnwicK, the founder and patron of this house of the canons 
of which I have spoken. After it had remained here for several 
months, it was found that it was without any corruption whatever. 
To secure the continuance of such an extraordinary matance of 
incorruption, which had thus deservedly exhibited itsdf in the foot 
of this holv man, the canons of the same abbey (it is called the 
abbey of Alnwick, for it is situated near the town of Alnwick), out 
of reverence to God the Creator, made a shrine of the purest 
silver, in the shape of a shoe, for this foot of incomipdon. This 
foot exhibited a wound, which was visible between its lowest joint 
and the joint which is immediately connected with it, which, 
whether it were made by a hatchet or a sword, I will not decide ; 
for the person who cut off the foot of the holy man was not con- 
tented with the numerous mutilations ^ich he inflicted upon the 
body of the holy man, but was unhappy until his cruelty vented 
itsen by this additional wound on the foot. It ha|qpened that 
about this time a very rich burgess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
became exceedingly ill, so much so that he was neariy deprived of 
the entire power of motion. He could not even stir one of his 
feet from the bed on which he was Ij^ing ; he could not raise his 
hand to his mouth; he could not discharge any bodily function 
whatever ; nor would he permit any one to touch htm, for such 
was the extremity of suffering to which he was reduced through 
this disease, whidi pervaded his entire body, that he preferred to 
die rather than to be moved from his bed, so intolerable was the 
burden [of his infirmity. One night he heard a voice which said 
to him as he was dreaming, '' Rise up to-morrow morning, and 
you will find that your disease is somewhat abated ; go to Alnwick, 
and in the abbey of the Premonstratensian canons of that place 
you will discover the foot of Simon de Montfort ; and from that 
foot," said the voice, "you will obtain an entire cure." Very 
early in the morning of the next day he found, on arising from his 
bed, his disease was to some little extent alleviated* as the divine 

' Alnwiek abbey. See Tumer^A NotitU MonMticay Northumberianc^ Ko. 1, 
Dngd. Honast iL 591. 



4.S.1268.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 227 

Toic9 had predicted to him; but it cost him some considerable 
pain to mount his horse, but he did this, and as speedily as he 
could go, he went to Alnwick. As soon as he reached the house 
of these religious, he dismounted from his horse as he best might, 
and hastened without delay to visit the foot of the holy man. No 
sooner did these devout canons see this, than two of their number, 
that they might shorten the journey of this burgess to the place 
where the foot was deposited, for he was still exceedingly ill, and 
they were apprehensive that he could not endure the fatigue of 
waiidng thither; two of them (I repeat) reverently carried the foot, 
fdong with the shoe in which it was deposited, from the place in 
whidi it was usually kept to meet the invalid. Before he came so 
near as to be able to Kiss the shoe, the merits of Simon were so 
effectual with God, that this man was permitted entirely to recover 
bis health, simply by the sight of the shoe. Reflect, then, how 
great glory must exist in this foot of Simon, when it shall be 
reunited with the entire body after the general judgment, since the 
single limb was so effectual even before the judgment, that the power 
of healing shone forth even from the lifeless substance in which it was 
enshrouded — this shoe of silver ; for the power of God thus in- 
visibly issued forth from the foot, through the shoe, so as to make 
this sick man whole. 

Nor was the other foot left without the honour of a miracle, as 
we may piously believe. This foot had been sent to Lewlyn,^ the 
prince of the Welsh, who had entered into a treaty with Simon, the 
subject-matter of which has been open to suspicion, and on which 
I do not touch, on account of the evil surmises which are afloat 
respecting it. For Simon was open to some mistrust, for the whole 
of the royal jurisdiction was at this time in his hands, along with 
the person of the king, whom he was keeping in custody, with the 
advice of the barons. Now, because Simon had promised to give 
his daughter to Lewlyn, as we have already stated, (who indeed did 
marry her afterwards,) it was for this very reason that the other 
foot of the former was sent as a present to the latter; and this was 
done as an insult to both the one and the other of them, that by 
this compUment the prince might perceive how much the English 
hated him for his connexion with this Simon. 

Now, about the hand of Simon, of which I have already made 
mention, I am uncertain whether it is that of which I have already 
spoken, or the other about which I have hitherto said nothing; but, 
as I have been informed by Thomas de Stangrife,^ the lord abbot 
of the monks of Riveaux, a man of the most venerable sanctity, 
that one of Simon's hands is kept at Evesham, in a place of the 
greatest veneration, we may piously believe that it has not 
been left there by God without some miracles having been ex- 
hibited ; for*God does not so highly exalt one part of a man by 

' Lewelliii, son of Ckiffln, prince of Wales, married Alianor de Montfort, 
daughter of Simon de Montfort Foedera, i 649. 

' No abbot of the name of Stangrife occurs in the list of abbots of RievaiiljL 
which is given in the new edition of Dugdale*s Monasticon; but one Thomas — 
probably the individual here mentioned — professed obedience as abbot on the 4th 
U the noQeiof Febrovy, 1280 MoDMt Aog^ t. 277. 

Q 2 



228 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [A.D.126S. 

honouring it with the power of working wonders, and yet leave 
another part of it without this same privilege. We must, therefore, 
believe for a truth (in my opinion at least), that as for the other 
hand and foot of Simon, respecting the power of which to work 
miracles I have been silent, God Almighty has indeed con- 
descended to perform wonders by them, as was well pleasing to his 
Godhead. 

Since, then, Simon may be believed to have been well pleasing 
to the Almighty Lord, he may rightly be compared to Simon Peter, 
the prince of the apostles. In this comparison which I am about 
to institute between these two Simons, if the reader shall chance to 
discover something which is not quite satisfactory in his opinion, 
I entreat him to correct what is amiss, and to pardon the folly of 
the offender. It is not my meaning, in this comparison of the 
inferior Simon with the superior, to prefer him or any other Simon 
in the world to the prince of the apostles ; but whilst I recal to 
memory that earl Simon, in regard to his faith, was inferior to the 
faith of the apostle, yet I may compare the miracle which God per- 
formed for the one, with a like kind of miracle which God performed 
on account of the other. My comparison, in short, runs thus : If 
the disease with which this burgess was afflicted, thus hastily aban- 
doned him when as yet he was afar off from the foot of this Simon, 
and had not come sufficiently near to kiss it, as we have stated 
above, may not this Simon be compared with him who was his 
superior (without disrespect to the apostle), the fear of whom, as 
he was hastening to the house of a certain rich man, expelled, even 
before he crossed the threshold, a most cruel devil from the 
daughter of that individual, by which the girl had been tormented 
from the seventh year of her age until the twentieth ? I repeat it, 
may not a comparison be fairly instituted between this greater 
Simon and Simon de Montfort ? In the one instance, the devil 
fled out of the young woman, as Simon was on his way to the 
house ; in the otner instance, the demon of his infirmity fled from 
this burgess with all speed, as I have already stated, before he could 
reach the foot of that other Simon. There is a miracle on each 
side ; but the lesser miracle belongs to the lesser personage. It was 
a more striking wonder that the devil — ^which had so influenced 
the girl that, in the extremity of her fiiry, she tore, scratched, and 
bit all who came near her, and whom (as we are informed) the 
same evil spirit had instructed, that she disabled some and killed 
others — should be cast out, to the glory of Christ and Peter, as 
Simon Peter was on his way towards her house, as appears towards 
the end of the eleventh book of the History of Clement. Thus, 
then, the greater miracle must be awarded to Peter, and the less to 
Simon, whom I have styled Simon the Less ; for the malice of the 
evil spirit who was expelled from the sick burgess wis one thou- 
sand-fold less than the savage ferocity of the devil who thus wildly 
raged in this young woman, as is evidenced by the continuance 
and degree of the fierceness of each of them respectively. 

For the second time, I entreat those persons who may read what 
I am now about to write, in instituting another ocxoparison between 



▲.1V1268.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 229 

these two Simons, if I award the superiority to the one over the 
other, not to be angry with me if I consider that the narrative 
which follows entirely eclipses its predecessor. For what is there 
more excellent amongst mankind, or more reasonable in itself in 
the whole nature of things, than that one thing should be compared 
with another, provided it be done with justice ? This is done in 
justice if this comparison of the man have immediate relation to 
God ; for Simon Peter said, when he had passed the middle of the 
night — " I now awake up willingly, so that sleep shall not again 
return to me ; and this I do, because it is my custom to call to 
mind the words of my Lord Jesus which I have heard Him speak. 
Out of love to them I stir up my mind, and exercise authority over 
my thoughts, that I should watch over every word of my Lord, 
which I recal and retain in my memory by pondering upon them. 
Thus, then, while I desire to deliberate in my heart upon the 
sweetness of the words of my Lord, the custom of watching has 
grown upon me by the Lord's favour. In such an unspeakable 
manner as this has the older habit of my mind become changed 
into a newer custom." This he says, towards the beginning of the 
second book of the History of Clement. 

The Simon whom we have already mentioned may most properly 
be compared with this Simon Peter. A comparison cannot be 
fairly instituted between two objects unless they be placed in juxta- 
position. Thus, Simon de Montfort may be compared with Simon 
Peter (the only one with whom he may be compared) ; for after he 
had made oath with the barons, by the king's directions, — ^the king 
himself having sworn in like manner along with Simon, nay, rather 
before Simon, faithfully to stand to the decision of the barons at 
Oxford, which had been enrolled by the wise men of England, — ^he 
began to deny himself, so to speak, and, Uke Simon Peter, to watch 
all night ; and, in adherence to this custom, he used to rise about 
midnight, at the warning of some bell, which no one heard save 
himself, if it be permitted to describe God's providence as a bell, 
for it never failed him after he had commenced this custom. 
A wax taper was his bell, which it was his wont to light each night 
as he went to bed ; and God so adjusted this taper, with reference 
to the length or shortness of the night, as the case might be, that, 
when it reached the point which indicated midnight, immediately 
he arose from his bed, as if awoke by God, and yet so noiselessly, 
that none of those who were sleeping near at hand either heard 
him or were aware that he had so risen. Long-continued custom 
enabled him to do this widi the same precision as if he had been 
awoke by the most accurate timepiece. Thus, habitually shaking off 
the indination to sleep until cock-crowing or early dawn, his 
example herein corresponded with that of Simon Peter ; for, from 
that hour, at which he arose during the night until the night of the 
following day, sleep never closed his eyes, exactly as was the case 
of Simon Peter. How beautifully does the one Simon herein cor- 
respond with the other ! for, while the one continued in earnest 
prayer before God, night after night, so did the other spend each 
night in continually meditating upon the words which he was about 



230 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP EN6IAND. fA^alSeS. 

to announce to the unbelieving people on the ensuii^ day. While 
Simon was thus in watching and prayer, he knew by heart the 
primer, the psalter, and other prayers, which he repeated during 
the night with alacrity and devotion ; for he was not forgetful of 
the love and the commands of his Creator. We may well believe, 
therefore, that in doing these things, he did what was well-pleasing 
in the eyes of the Almighty Creator ; especially if that was true 
(yea, rather because it was true] which his private attendants in his 
bedchamber reported of him, namely, that all day long and aU 
night long he was clothed in haircloth. So great was his tem- 
perance in his diet, so praiseworthy was his frugality in his clothing, 
that he did not exercise himself in great matters whidi were too 
high for him ; but whilst he was with those of his own household, 
he was contented with a russet garb : even when associated with 
the nobility of the land, he seldom wore a scarlet dress, but most 
generally clothing of a blue or brown colour, possibly that they 
might the less suspect that his under-garments were of haircloth ; 
for he was apprehensive that some sndi report had got abroad into 
the world. 

Once more, what can I say about his thrift, so frugal, and 
therefore so praiseworthy, as that was, which he exhibited in the 
toidst of wealth so abundant and luxuries so profuse, but this — 
that herein his scanty self-indulgence may be compared with the 
example of Simon Peter ? His clothing, too, may be compared 
with the mean dress of that same Simon Peter, whose sole nourish- 
ment was bread and olives, and it was only upon rare occasions 
that he indulged in vegetables and bread. The clothing of this 
Peter was noticing more than a tunic ahd a cloak ; and he himself 
affirmed that these two garments were sufficient for him. About 
these matters, see the eighth book of the History aforesaid, towards 
the beginning. 

Furthermore, let us observe the nature of the moderation which 
dwelt in Simon the soldier. You must observe that the character 
of moderation is this, that it takes neither too much food nor too 
little, but always holds a middle course between the two — ^between 
the excessive and the deficient. Now, Simon never exceeded the 
accustomed measure prescribed to him by his frugality, either in 
his eating or his drinking ; and therefore he deserves to be styled 
moderate, as is further demonstrated by his habit of early rising, in 
which he always persevered, as we have already described. Those 
who slept along with him did not arise, but spent nearly tiie whole 
night in bed ; but they got up with an impaired digestion, and sur- 
feited with excess of sleep, nothing of which kind occurred to our 
Simon. No excess of sleep could be noted in him, for his modera- 
tion was great. Thus we may find an example of holy moderation 
in Simon ; for in him temperance in sleep accompanied temperance 
in diet, as is said by the most holy Bernard. We have shortly 
before this had an illustration of the moderation of Simon Peter ; 
for, to continue the extract which I have already made from his 
own words, " We (that is, I and my brother Andrew), from the 
time that we were boys, were always in a state of poverty." Observe 



>.Oil368.] CHRONICLE OF MELR06B. 231 

here, the moderation of Peter commences with the early dawn o( 
poverty, which was afterwards adorned in the schoo} of Christ with 
the moderation of true hoUness ; so that these two Simons might 
appear to be companions in the matter of moderation* due reg^iid 
being had to the superiority of the aposdt, wbsme moderation 
springs from the words of our Lord Himself, who said, " Take heed 
to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with sur- 
feiting and drunkenness " (Luke xzi. 34), two sins which were very 
far distant from both of these Simons. Thus Simon, the scholar of 
Christ, could have said to Simon, Christ's soldier, had they been 
contemporaries, as he said to his disciple Clement, in the passage 
above referred to, " I wonder at this, and praise you for it, that 
though vou are a man of great wealth," (for pope Clement was of 
imperial feunily, just as earl Simon was of a longly family,) " yet 
since you have come among us, you have so easily changed your 
habits, and adapted yourself to our mode of life, which uses only 
what b necessary for tlie poorest, and ignores pleasures." Nor is it 
to be wondered at, that those persons who enter upon the path of 
righteousness for God's sake, obtain from Him the gift of a perfect 
moderation, which never swerves from the measure of sober 
moderation; for we read that there exist some brute creatures, 
which have been endowed by God with the gift of such entire 
abstinence, as never to touch anything for their food which is of a 
corporeal substance, like as other living things do. Thus Solinus 
mentions, in his book " On the wonders of the world," (chapter 
dxiv.) when speaking of a quadruped called the chamelion, that 
such is its nature, that it takes neither food nor drink, and is sup- 
ported solely by imbibing the air, which it is constantly sucking in; 
and yet, according to die testimony of Pliny (Book viii. chapter 
zxiv.), it has flesh, and blood, and entrails ; and he adds, that its 
head and cheeks are fleshy, and that the blood of its whole body 
Ues in a small tail with which it is provided ; and yet, though it is 
a very large creature, as he himself states in his Natural History 
(Book xi. chapter xxxviii.), there is nothing in its inside but a 
hollow cavity; and we cannot suppose that it is independent of the 
air, for, according to the same authority (Book viii. chapter zxxiv.), 
its mouth is always gaping after the support which it derives from 
the air — ^nor, indeed, has it any other. Other Uving things, worms, 
for instance, live without bodily food. There are some of them 
which are to be found in a province near the Torrid Zone, as the 
letter of Prester John informs us, and these are called salamanders. 
The only fitting residence of these important worms b the fire, and 
from it they derive their support. Distinct from these salamanders 
are others which belong to other provinces : they are not only good 
for nothing, but they are venomous ; and therefore they spin for 
themselves little coverings of silk, within which they conceal them- 
selves, like as do the other worms which produce silk ; and from 
these cocoons are made the garments which are worn by kings and 
nobles. The only mode of cleaning these garments is by putting 
them in a strong fire. I suppose that the garment of which Pliny 
speaks (Book viii. diapter xlviii.) was one of these ; his words 



232 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [A.D. 1268. 

are, " There is a certain kind of dress which resists sword and 
fire." % 

Having seen, then, that there exist creatures, who in their 
moderation and abstinence surpass all that man can exhibit, we 
have no cause for wonder if we discover that Simon obtained from 
God the gift of moderation to such a degree that he never exceeded 
so far as to use anything which was superfluous; for even the 
camel refuses to advance one step beyond the length of the journey 
to which he has been accustomed, nor will he carry more than \n& 
usual load ; concerning which see Pliny, (Book viii. chapter xix.) 
This excellent habit may well be compared with the virtuous 
moderation of our Simon, which by no means suffers by the com- 
parison; concerning whose shirt of hair we have now something to 
say, the sanctity of which must be acknowledged. For if, as Pliny 
says (in the eighth chapter of the same book), there is a healing 
virtue in the bristles of the camel, — by bristles, meaning hairs, — 
much more ought the hair shirt of every saintly man, which is 
made of the hair of a camel, or of some other animal, to be 
reverenced for its holiness. Here compare the hair shirt of this 
valiant Simon the knight, with the tunic and doak of the most holy 
fisherman, of which we have already said somewhat ; and, unless I 
am much mistaken, you wUl find that the sharpness of Simon's 
haircloth inflicted upon the wearer a punishment no less sharp than 
the bare cloak and tunic of the more illustrious Simon produced in 
him. I cannot imagine that the garments of the latter would need 
to have been censured for their newness ; I should suppose that 
rather they were old, not new, and therefore thin and chilly; and in 
consequence he would be no less pinched by the winter's cold than 
scorched by the heat of summer. When placed under the influence 
of the burmng sun, in such a dress, must not he have been oppressed 
with its burning heat ? Assuredly. It might possibly be suggested 
that the thinness of this garment would afford him a cool protection 
against the heat, as he wandered about from nation to nation, 
preaching to them the kingdom of God, and so was exposed, while 
so doing, for many a weary day, to the burning sun of summer. 
There was no lack of austerity in each of these Simons, arising out 
of the excess of their love for the eternal life after which they 
yearned. And so, indeed, Simon Peter says of himself in the eighth 
book of the Itinerary of Clement, " My mind is fixed not upon the 
things which are present, but upon those which are yet to come ; 
and therefore I have no delight in that which is present and 
visible." Nor had Simon the earl any pleasure in such like gratifi- 
cations ; and therefore he said that he would never draw back from 
the cause which, for God's sake, he had justly undertaken, the 
defence of England, neither for life nor for death, " since," as he 
added, " I am about to die for it." 

That which more than anything else occasioned the death of this 
Simon, was the faithful oath which he had made for England ; for 
from the day upon which he took it, he ever afterwards began to 
grow more strict in his mode of life, until the day of his death, as 
has before been stated. Up to this period he had not refrained 



iLD. 1268.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 233 

from the society of his own wife, but henceforward he estranged 
himself from it, following the example of Simon Peter, of whom it 
is believed that he wholly debarred himself from the endearments 
of the married state ; his wife being in the habit of following behind 
the crowd of the disciples of Peter, along with the mother of Saint 
Clement and the other holy women, as is stated in the eighth book 
of the Itinerary of Clement. 

At this time, as I have remarked already, Simon wore a hair 
shirt. You might have heard grave and religious men, of di£Ferent 
orders, saying everywhere throughout England (some of them came 
into Scotland, and made the same observation), that after Simon 
was dead, they would quite as willingly visit his tomb, for the pur- 
pose of their praying to God, as they would go to Jerusalem for the 
same purpose. This was in consequence of Sie austerity of his life, 
as demonstrated by the haircloth which he wore ; for those who 
were the chamber-fellows with him had mentiond to some of their 
more intimate friends that Simon used a shirt of hair, and that he 
took pleasure in so doing ; for there is nothing hidden which shall 
not be revealed. Another reason was, that he had taken in hand 
the most righteous cause of defending the inhabitants of England. 
There were others who said, that if, at the time when they were 
speaking, Simon had fallen for the sake of right (as he afterwards 
did), they would quite as readily have gone to his sepulchre, there 
to pray to God, as to the great shrine of the holy martyr Thomas, 
in which he reposes at Canterbury, endowed by God with many 
miracles, and adorned with precious stones. The remark which 
they made in their conversation with each other was not devoid of 
sound reason ; for no less did Simon die in a just struggle for the 
lawful rights of the realm of England, than Thomas had formerly 
done for the lawful rights of the church of England. Each of them 
had died in his own day, clothed in the penance of haircloth — a 
penance which sooner than any other leads a man to God — that so 
they might put on incorruption through means of the penance thus 
voluntarily assumed by God's inspiration. 

After the illustrious death of this Simon, the Friars Minorites, 
whom he had always loved as became a religious man, and who 
also were acquainted with the inmost thoughts of his heart in 
many respects, adopting his life as the outline of their narrative, 
published a history out of his excellent actions, consisting of 
lessons, responses, verses, hymns,* and other matter appertaining 
to the honour and respect due to a martyr; but as long as Edward 
survives, this compilation does not attain that acceptance, by being 
chanted within the church of God, which was anticipated. 

There were some persons who lightly esteemed this holy man 
after hb decease, but they died a disgraceful death. One of them 
was a canon of Alnwick, who, after he had one day been under- 
valuing Simon, very unnecessarily (at this time the earl's foot had 
not reached that house), discovered next morning, when it was 

* Tymll, in the introdactioxi to hiB HiBtoiy of England, refers to a mannacript 
in the Pablio Library at Cambridge^ which contains some hymns in honour of 
this Simon. 



234 CHURCH HnrORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1208. 

time to rise from his bed, that he had not a sin^e eye left him in 
that wicked head of his ; for on the previous day he had sworn by 
God's eyes, that Simon was a traitor to the king of England and 
his nobles. No wonder, then, that his eyes dropped out of his 
head, God thus punishing him for Simon's sake. In each eyehole 
there was a deep and a ghastly hollow. The man died suddenly on 
the same day. 

John, bishop of Glasgow, died at the city of Meaux, in France, 
and there he was buried ; and in his stead William Wiscard, the 
king's chancellor, was chosen ; and being still bishop elect at the 
time when Gamelin, bishop of St. Andrew's, died, he was chosen 
to become the occupant of that see. His nephew, Robert Wiscard* 
the archdeacon of Lothian, became the elect of Glasgow, and was 
afterwards consecrated as its bbhop. 

Another accursed servant of the devil, who had cut off the 
private members of this holy man Simon, died a most horrid death 
two years after he had committed this great crime ; for, beii^ in 
Scotland, he was drowned in the large and deep river of Tay, which 
hOa into the sea near the noble town of Perth ; and when they 
would have taken him out of the water, it was discovered that 
a couple of frightful crabs had fixed their claws so firmly into his 
beUy, that they could scarce be removed. His unhappy corpse, 
after it was dragged out of the river, oug^t to have been buried 
with the burial of a horse : for in some places (in the region of 
Agrigentum, for instance) horses of a good breed, out of respect to 
their pedigree, are buried in a grave, and over them is placed 
a pyramidical tomb; as appears from Pliny's Natural History 
(Book viii. chapter xliv.). I was wrong, however, in saying that 
this wretched man, of whom I have just now been speaking, ought 
to have been buried like a horse ; for he had less of nobility about 
him than a horse has, which deserves a noble burial-place : for it is 
remarked, in the same chapter, that a rich emperor made a tomb 
ibr his horse, and a poem was composed in its honour. In the 
same place it appears, that when Alexander the Great was building 
his twelve Alexandrine cities, he named one of th^m Bucephalia, 
after his horse Bucephalus, which he buried there when it died, 
and gave its name to the city in which it had thus nobly been 
entombed. This horse well deserved such an honour ; for it had 
carried its master Alexander in safety throu^ the dangers of many 
a terrible battle, as Solinus states in the hundred and seventy-third 
chapter of his book " On the wonders of the world." This horse 
was taken by the beauty of Alexander ; but I rather think that it 
was by its attachment to him, while he was still a youth, as Pliny 
tells us in the same place. My reason for speaking of its attach- 
ment to the youth Alexander is this, that it threw every one who 
attempted to mount it, save its own master, Alexander. Solinus 
mentions that there have been other horses who would not con- 
descend to carry any but their own master ; and there are many 
other things mentioned to the credit of these animals, such, for 
instance, as that they shed tears when their masters died. What an 
affectionate and noble creature is the horse ! Also, it is stated thajt 



A.II. 126S.1 CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 235 

they starve themselves to death when they lose those masters to 
whom they are attached. Did not I fear that it would be wearisome^ 
I *would dilate upon their affection. Now, when we remember the 
respect thus lavished upon horses, when they are buried in an 
honourable tomb, may not we feel some indignation that this 
person, who cut off the private parts of the holy man Simon, was 
mterred m a beautiful field; whereas it would have been much 
more fitting had he been buried near the eallows, where robbera 
and other malefactora are laid, unless, indeed, he had repented 
him of the crime which he had committed against Simon ? 

John Maunsel died in the parts beyond the sea, in great poverty 
and distress. This wretched person had so large an amount of eccle- 
siastical revenues, that out of them he could spend eighteen thousand 
marks 3^arly. Hence he refused to accept even the larger bishop- 
rics of En^and, partly because he held in pluralities very many of 
the richest churches in England, partly because he was incontinent. 
Speaking of a church whid^ was moderately endowed, being worth 
twenty pounds, he said, "That paltry church will do for our 
hounds." Hence you may gather, that out of the proceeds of that 
diurch, bran, and meal, and other matters required for his dogs, 
were to be provided. This person was Simcm's enemy and me 
king's chief counsellor ; and he persuaded the king to break the 
oath which he had made to the barons, that he would be faithful 
to England, which the king did. Hereupon he [Maunsel] was 
despatdied to the papal court to obtain an absolution,^ by which 
the king might be released from the oath which he had made to 
the barons; and the king's petition speedily procured the abso- 
lution which he desired. Hence followed the first battle of which 
we have already spoken, begun by the king after he had obtained 
this absolution. But woe to the king's breach of faith ! He had 
sworn that he would abide by the decision of the barons in every 
respect ; and the barons had sworn that they would adhere to the 
same agreement, which they had feithfully made for the king and 
his realm. But as the king did not keep his oath, so it was main- 
tained by many that this was the reason why the barons got die 
victory over him, since they had faithfully sworn to save the 
kingdom. To this oath Edward had never assented ; and when, at 
a later period, he was in confinement, [the earl], as he was respect- 
fully attending upon him at his meals, used to say to him, " My 

lord Edward ' my service ;" and Edward was in the habit 

of answering, being entirely ignorant that Simon was 

thinking of the death which he was shortly afterwards to undeigo 
from the sword of the other. 

About this time, Oliver, the venerable abbot of Driburgh, was 
despatched to Edward, on the part of his sister, the queen of Scot- 
land ; and when his arrival was told to Simon, he conducted him 
into the presence of Edward, leaving below and in solitude the 

' The bnU by which Alexmnder IV. absolved the kmg fhnn hie oeih to the 
berooe is printed in tiie Food. i. 405, end on the next pegs oeeun t«ro other 
documents connected with the same transaction. 

' Here the manuscript is riigjhtfy impeifectr 



236 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1268. 

canon by whom he had been accompanied, for at this time Ekiward 
happened to be staying in a chamber upstairs. So Simon, pre- 
ceeding the abbot, conducted him up the several flights of stairs, 
until diey reached that in which was the person to whom he had 
been despatched. After they had saluted each other, they sat down 
together, and talked in friendly manner ; but all the while that 
the interview lasted, Simon remained standing before them; and 
as he stood, he never once withdrew his eyes from them, but 
watched them most attentively; for he was apprehensive that some 
letter would be delivered to Edward, or some dangerous communi- 
cation made to him on the part of those by whom the messenger 
had been despatched. When they had conversed together as long 
as they felt inclined, the abbot arose, and having asked for per- 
mission to do so, he withdrew ; but now he was foUowed by Simon, 
who (as the abbot supposed) imagined that if he had gone in 
advance, then some letter of treacherous import might have been 
conveyed to Edward. The same apprehension influenced him as 
he was conducting the abbot into Edward's presence, for then, as 
has been remarked, he went in advance of the messenger ; for had 
the abbot gone first, he might have privily dropped some letter, 
the import of which might have been dangerous. But this piece of 
precaution is scarce worth mentioning, when we have so many 
other instances of greater acts of prudence. 

I shall now make an end of speaking about Simon, whose life, 
thoueh it be not fully illustrated by my pen in matters of minute 
detail and great difficulty, yet, in what I have said, I need not fear 
either the reproach, the detraction, or the falsehood of the male- 
volent ; for I have written nothing about him which I have not 
received from men whom I consider to be worthy of credit. If my 
statements are not believed, neither will that of St. Augustine, who 
tells us (in the eleventh chapter of the sixteenth book of his treatise 
" Of the City of God ") that in his own time there was a man who 
had two heads, two breasts, four hands, one stomach, and two feet ; — 
nor will he give credence to Orosius, who speaks (in the eleventh 
chapter of the seventh book of the " Ormetista^ Mundi ") of a boy 
who had four feet, four hands, four eyes, as many ears, and was bom 
of a maiden ; — nor to Pliny, who tells, in his Natural History (Book 
seven chapter five), about a boy, the child of a virgin, and whom the 
soothsayers commanded to be carried to a desert island ; — nor to the 
same authority, when he informs us (in the ninth chapter of the same 
book) that an infant once returned into its mother's womb, and that 
one woman in one day gave birth to seven children; — nor to Isidore, 
who says (in the third chapter of the eleventh book of his Etymo- 
logy) that some men are bom with teeth, some with beards, some 
with grey hairs — that a woman produced a calf, and another a 
serpent ; — nor to Pliny, when he affirms (as he does in the book 
already cited) that an elephant gave birth to a serpent. We have 
been constrained by the gainsayers to cite these examples against 
themselves; and I entreat them that no one of their number 
henceforward play the backbiter, lest if he does, so he may happen 

> Bead Ormesta Mundi See Citye, Hist lit I 894. 



iL 11.1269.] CHRONICLE OP MELROSE. 237 

to experience some of those punishments which have already over- 
taken with a temporal death the adversaries of earl Simon. Simon 
was descended from warlike ancestors, and was himself no dege- 
nerate imitator of those who had gone before him ; but he died in 
battle, fighting on the side of justice ; as was the case with his 
father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, and his two 
immediate predecessors. 

HERE ENDS THE TREATISE CONCERNING THE ILLUSTRIOUS 

SIMON DE MONTFORT. 



John de Edirham, lord abbot of Melrose, resigned his office of 
abbot, and was succeeded herein by Robert de Keldeleht, a monk 
of Newbottle, who had previously been abbot of- Dunfermline, and 
chancellor of Scotland. 

A.D. 1269. Avery severe storm of wind drove out of his in- 
tended route that illustrious prince the king of France, at this time 
on his way to the Holy Land. He was thus carried into the Sea of 
Greece; and when he landed, he discovered that he was in the 
kingdom of Barbary, the king of which he subjugated ; and he then 
laid siege to and took the metropolis, an important, warlike, and 
populous city. Upon this city, called Tunis, ^ and upon other of 
the towns of that district, the king of France imposed the payment 
of a large annual tribute. Its inhabitants worship One God the 
Almighty, but not Three Persons ; and because they worshipped 
One God, and did not observe the Jewish Law, they entreated tl^e 
French not to put them to death. There are two bishops within 
that region. After the region of Barbary had thus been reduced to 
the king of France, as the latter was returning homewards, in 
company with the king of Navarre, both of them died on the road; 
David earl of Athol,' also, died in that expedition. King Louis 
was succeeded by his son Philip. 

Albin, bishop of Brechin, died, and was succeeded by friar 
liVilliam de Kilconcath, reader of the Friars Preachers of Perth. 

The most pious king Louis, whom we have already mentioned, 
built that most famous monastery of the Cistercian order, called 
Regalis Mons. He did not, like the founders of other monasteries, 
endow it with landed property, but he arranged that it should be 
continually provided year by year, and at the most convenient 
seasons, with uninterrupted supplies of wheat, wine, and all other 
necessary commodities, which should be delivered by trustworthy 
agents at the places best adapted for their reception. This he did, 
in order that the monks of this place might entirely dedicate them- 
selves to the service of God, and wholly abstract themselves from 
the world. 

Wido, the lord abbot of Newbottle, resigned the government of 
his house ; over which was placed Waldeve, a monk of Melrose, 
who had been the cellarer of the same house. 

Lora, countess of Athol, died, and was buried at Mebrose. John 

1 See ForduD, ii 101. 

' He died At Carthage on 6th Aug. Fordon, ibid. 



238 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [a. D. 1970. 

de Balliol died ; he was a lover of scholare, and out of his love 
towards God, he built a house at Oxford, to each of the scholars of 
vhich he made a weekly allowance of eight pence for their common 
table. There is in the same place another house for scholars, 
better than this last mentioned, where each scholar receives a 
weekly payment of twelve pence for his commons, from the gift of 
the bishop of Bath. 

A.D. 1270. The lord Edward, the eldest son of the king of 
England, and most accomplbhed knight and soldier, proceeded to 
the Holy Land. On his arrival there, he took up his abode in 
a tower in the city of Acre ; nor did he set foot outside that city. 
to engage in any difficult exploit, save upon one solitary occasion, 
when he was preceded by a Christian spy, who was of the sect of 
the SuUani. Ijiese are Christians who reside, hermit-like, amongst 
the Saracens ; and as they live in the wilderness, they are allowed 
to continue unmolested. All hermits are held in high respect by 
all kinds of Saracens and pagans, out of the honour whidi they 

Giy to that dweller in the wilderness, St. John the Baptist ; and 
m they love and honour with the highest veneration, because it 
was upon his festival that they gained their victory over the Chris* 
tians. Now, this Sulian had come to Acre, to intimate to Edward 
that the inhabitants of a town called Caconia had gone out, accord- 
ing to the usage of that country, to feed their flocl^ and herds, and 
that they had pitched their tents in some well-wooded districts. 
The inhabitants of that town issue forth once a-year to enjoy them- 
selves in the open country ; and after they have had the benefit of 
the fresh air, they all return homewards in one body. In his 
advance towards the tents of these holiday-makers, which were 
about three days' march distant from Acre, Edward kept himself 
concealed during the daylight in obscure or woody places, as he had 
been instructed by the Sulian; for he was apprehensive of the 
multitude of the heathen, who would forthwith have crushed the 
scanty body of Christians who were with him, for he was sup- 
ported only by a few of the pilgrims and some of the more infiuen- 
tiai inhabitants of Acre. He advanced by night marches, thereby 
nusleading the infidels, who did not know his route. By this plan 
he arrived very early one morning at the spot; and finding the 
Saracens, their wives, and children in bed, he slew them all with 
the edge of the sword, for they were the enemies of the faith of 
Christ. After the slaughter, he drove off to Acre all their flocks 
and herds, and removed all their baggage ; and of all the men who 
accompanied him, he lost but one, and he was an esquire, named 
Nicolas, who was in attendance upon a Scottish knight, called 
Alexander de Setun. This esquire, (who was mounted,) had turned 
aside from the main body of the Christians for a necessary purpose, 
carrying with him on his back the shield belonging to his master ; 
and he was immediately seized by a few unbelievers, who dwelt by 
the roadside, whom, had the Christians noticed as they passed, — 
which they did not, — they would have put to death. The esquire, 
dius carried off, was never seen again by the Christians from that 
day forward. 



A.D.1270L] CHRONICLE OP MELE06E. 239 

If that iUastrious soldier, the lord Edward, had enjoyed the 
assistance of the Christians, whom that traitor to our faith, Charles* 
long of Sicily, the brother of Louis, king of the French, had with- 
drawn from him, he would have given ample proof of his knight- 
hood upon these heathen; for at that time he was the flower of 
the chivalry of the whole world. But, through the instrumentality 
of Charles, he had been defrauded of the help of several nations — 
namely, of Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Italy; for the avarice of the 
other urged him to accept a countless treasure from the pagans* 
before the arrival of Edward for their destruction. The money was 
paid down upon these terms, that Charles would give the Saracens 
the truce which they required, in order to prepare themselves 
against the Christians. They asked for an armistice of fifteen years 
for this purpose, and this was readily conceded by Charles ; and he 
gave them, in writing and by oath, whatever amount of security 
diey pleased to ask. So the traitor Charles returned home, and 
the treasure which he had thus wickedly obtained from the 
unbeUeving people was placed in a strong ship to follow him ; but 
the vengeance of God decreed that as the ship was entering a safe 
harbour, near a city which belonged to the Christians, while in the 
very port, the vessel was suddenly engulfed in the sand, and nothing 
whatever was saved out of this money of iniquity, although God's 
mercy granted a safe deliverance to all the men who were on board, 
all of whom escaped unhurt. And so the ship perished ; but let 
Charles take care that he perish not eternally, if he be not in safety 
within the ship of the church; for the ship of the church is the 
unity of the church, from which unity* it would seem, that Charles 
had entirely departed when he gave the preference to money 
against Christ — over war against Christ's enemies, for Christ's 
sake. 

After this, that true treasure of Christ, the lord Edward, re« 
turned from the Holy Land, having abandoned the idea of warring 
against the heathen, a thing which he could not carry on in con^ 
sequence of the fewness of the number of the Christians. His 
intention, however, was, that he would never return to bis own 
country, until he had, to the uttermost of his power, discomfited the 
pagans, provided he could obtain the cooperation of the Christiaa 
states. But having heard of the death of his worthy father, king 
Henry, who had uways wielded the sceptre of the kingdom of 
England in peace and tranquillity, until he had been seduced (for 
he was an unreasonable man, although religious) by evil coun- 
sellors, the chief of whom was his own wife, queen Eleanor, to 
Ermit war to be waged against the barons of his kingdom* 
Iward was of necessity compelled to return home, to succeed 
as the lawful heir of the realm after his father, and as such to 
be crowned. 

Adam de Kilconcath, earl of Carrick, died at Acre, whose 
widow, the countess of Carrick, afterwards married Robert de 
Bruys the younger. 

My pen wilBngly returns to that most valiant youth in the 
whole worid* that illustrious soldier for Christ* Edward; for it 



240 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. [4.1X1270. 

would be improper were I to pass over in silence how, God 
Almighty assisting him, he delivered himself from being killed by 
a powerful Saracen. A section of the unbelieving nation of the 
Saracens, who resided in the immediate neighbourhood of Acre, 
understanding that lord Edward was one of the most illustrious of 
all the soldiers of Christendom, despatched to him a certain 
admiral, a man of great wealth and influence. Upon the arrival 
of this pretended messenger, he presented many precious gifts in 
addition to those of the same kind which he had already forwarded, 
and earnestly prayed that Edward would admit to his friendship 
and confidence such an insignificant personage as himself, for so he 
designated himself, although really a man of importance. He 
stated that he wished to disclose to Edward a secret which he 
could not divulge unless he were first admitted to his secure pro- 
tection. He swore by God that his very soul's health was in 
Edward's hands ; and he added, " I entreat you, sufier me not to 
perish." The other, having no guile in his heart, answered by 
saying that he would much rather that he and all the Saracens in 
the world were saved, than that they should be lost. Hearing 
this, the crafty deceiver fell down and kissed the knees, the hands, 
and the feet of him who spoke to him thus kindly, declaring that 
how he was far happier than he had ever been before, in being 
permitted to see the son of so mighty a prince ; and he was loud 
m proclaiming the praises of this king and his son, and he said 
that there was not his equal in the whole earth, nor one so skilled 
in tournaments, and so successful over his enemies in actual war- 
fare ; and he added that if the whole of the Christian world would 
place him at their head, he would soon be conqueror of the uni- 
verse as well as of the Saracens. He extolled the Christians in 
many ways; and then he whispered in Edward's ear that he wished 
to embrace our faith, " for this reason," said he, " because the 
faith of the Christians excels every other religion in the glory of its 
miracles." Edward was rejoiced at these words, and he replied by 
sayings " It will indeed be a great blessing to you if you will be 
baptized without delay, for it is part of our belief that whosoever 
is not baptized shall perish everlastingly with the devil ; if, therefore, 
you wish to be saved, hasten to baptism, since you do not know 
the day of your death." The other answered, " Your advice is 
good, for I do indeed wish to be be baptized : but I have a lawful 
wife and many concubines, sons and daughters, kinsmen and rela- 
tives, and my desire is that all these should receive the baptism of 
Jour holy faith along with myself ; I should wish, therefore, that 
efore I am baptized, I should discuss with them the nature of the 
faith which I am about to accept." Edward replied, " You would 
do well, however, to make haste about your own baptism, for you 
know not the hour of your death." 

This admiral stood before Edward rejoicing, and being elated 
with his success, he gesticulated as if he were a bufibon ; and then 
asking permission to retire, the unhappy wretch withdrew, over- 
flowing with craftiness, frequently promising that he would lose 
no opportunity of returning to enjoy his company, and to take 



A.D. 1264.] CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 241 

recreation along with him ; and this he did, constantly sending, as 
hitherto, large and splendid gifts and presents. Edward inquired 
of him why he so long delayed his baptism, and his reply was, that 
though he had obtained the consent of many of his friends for this 
step, " yet not of all of them," (he said,) " but I hope to do so 
ere long, by the assistance of the God of the faith of you 
Christians." 

Being upon these terms of mutual confidence, neither of them 
entertained any apprehension with regard to the other; and the 
report of this their great friendship at last reached the ears of the 
chief soldan of the Saracens. He sent for the admiral, and was 
very suspicious that his intention was to betray, as far as he was 
able, the whole of that nation, and when he had become a Chris- 
tian himself, to deliver his countrymen up to the Christians ; and 
therefore he commanded him, as he valued his life and limbs, to 
appear at court upon such a day and at such a place. So great is 
the ceremonial which is there observed, that (as I was informed by 
the esquire from whom 1 had the present narrative) all who enter 
the palace for the transaction of any business with him, or to be 
admitted to an audience, kneel once outside the door of the palace, 
at the threshold; once more when they have come witlun the 
palace ; they make a third genuflexion when they reach the middle 
of the palace ; and when they come into his immediate presence, 
they make a profound inclination to him, kneeling upon their 
knees. The said admiral came, and made his obeisances as is the 
custom of the country, and as others did. The sultan inquired if 
he had become a Christian, and whether he had betrayed the 
heathen faith to the son of the king of England. His reply was, 
that he had rendered more efficient service to the prince for the 
defence of their unbelief, thsin all the other pagans had done who 
for a long time past had been labouring for the accomplishment of 
that object. " And how ? " said the soldan. The other replied, 
" You are terribly afraid of that prince; but as for me, I have so 
won him over by my numerous and splendid gifts, so cajoled him 
with my presents, dealing herein with the greatest caution, that he 
is entirely at my disposal ; and now nothing further remains to be 
done with him, than to kill him whenever I please." And this 
assuredly he would have done, had not the goodness of God 
delivered this most religious Edward by his assistance. A few days 
afterwards this treacherous admiral ^ 



A.D. 1264. In this year there have elapsed from the foundation 
of Melrose six score and, seven years, and four score and twelve 
years since the martyrdom of St. Thomas ; and since the capture of 
William, king of Scotland, eighty-nine years; and since the battle 
of the Standard, five score and five years; and since the bull of 
king Alexander, sixty-five years; and at the festival of St. James 

' Here the narratiye ends abruptly. The following short notices, nearly 
defaced, and not included in Fulman's edition, are transcribed from various folios 
of the manuacript, in the margins of which they have been entered with a style, 
probably as memoranda to be afterwards extended. 

VOL. IV. R 



242 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. [a. D. 1264— 1275. 

[25th July], the fifty-fourth year is completed since William, king 
of Soots, gave his daughters ; and since the burning of Rokeberi 
and Berwick, forty-seven years. 

A.D. 1271. This was a sharp winter. 

A.D. 1272. On the second of the kalends of April [20th 
March], David,' the son of king Alexander, was bom, about the 
first hour of the night, at . . .' 

A.D. 1273. Richard, the lord abbot of K. . . . llos, a man of 
pious memory and holy conversation, died at Ware in Eng^aitd, 
on the vigil of St. Dionysius [11th March], as he was returning 
from the general chapter ; and upon Sunday, the first of April, his 
body was buried with becoming reverence at Warden. In his 
place was appointed Andrew, die prior of Newbottle, formerly 
prior of Pluscardin, of the order of ... ; and on the eve of the 
Epiphany [5th Jan.], he was admitted to the cure of souls at 
K. . . . He, and was installed in the choir there by the father- 
abbot with great rejoicings. 

A.D. 1275. Waliwus, the lord abbot of Newbottle^ of pious 
memory and holy conversation, going the way of all flesh, departed 
happily to the Lord, leaving behind him that house in the most 
perfect peace and in admirable condition, both as regards spiritual 
matters and temporal. He died in the third year of his govern- 
ment, upon the third of the nones of February [3d Feb.], and his 
body was buried upon the vigil of Agatha the virgin and martyr 
[4th Feb.], with the honour due to a father-abbot. 

1 His death in 1280 10 mentioned by Fordii%iL 124; and Wyntown, I 892. 
' Thib birihplaoe ia not filled up in the MS. 



END OF THE CHRONICLE OF MELROSE. 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE 



OF THE 



WAR BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE SCOTS IN 1173 AND 1174. 



JOKDAIf FANTOSME'S CHEONIOLE 

OF THX 

WAR BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE SCOTS IN 1178 AND 1174. 



Hear a true story (may God bless you !) 

Of the best sovereign who was ever in life. 

A fancy has taken me to make verses, it is right that I should tell 

you them : 
I hold him wise who corrects himself by others. 
Gentle king of England, of the most bold courage. 
At the coronation of your son do you not remember 
That the homage from the hands of the king of Albany 
You caused to be presented to him without having faitli forsworn ? 
Then you said to both : " May God curse those 

10 Who would remove from you love or friendship ! 

Against all the people of the world, in strength and aid. 

With my son remain, holding safe my lordship." 

Afterwards between you and your son a deadly hatred sprung up. 

Whence many a gentle knight has since lost his life. 

Many a man has been unhorsed, many a saddle emptied. 

Many a good buckler pierced, many a hauberk broken. 

After this coronation and after this investiture 

You filched from your son something of his lordship. 

You took away from him his will ; he could not get possession: 

20 Here grew war without love, the Lord God confound it ! 

A king of land without honour does not know well what to do : 
The young sovereign did not know it, the gentle [and] good ; 
When he could not accomplish his will on account of his father. 
He thought in his mind that he would oppose him : 
He went away secretly, passed a ford of Loire, 
Till he came to Saint-Denis he would neither eat nor drink. 
Told the king of France all his business. 
They sent for him of Flanders,* Philip the warrior. 
And Matthew' of Boulogne, that he should come with his brother. 

30 Great was this meeting, you never saw greater. 
King Lewis ' of France was at Saint-Denis, 
Wrongly was the war made against king Henry,* 

' Philip of Flanders succeeded his father in 1168, and died at the siege of 
Acre in 1191. See Art de v^rif. les Dates, iiL 11. 

' This Matthew became earl of Boulogne by his marriage with Maiy, the 
daughter of king Stephen, and died 25th July, 1178. 

' Louis VIL, consecrated king of France Oct 25, 1131. 

* This line is wanting in the Lincoln MS. 



246 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

And held a great council of all his good friends ; 

About the old king of England was he so thoughtful 

(That) nearly by sorrow went out of his mind gentle king Lewis, 

When the count of Flanders had raised his face. 

And said to the king of France : " Be not so thoughtful. 

You have great baronage, valiant and powerful. 

To make great damage upon your enemies. 

40 In all your land it would be wrong that any vassal should remain. 
Who could bear arms, or might not be too old. 
Not to make you oath on the body of Saint-Denis 
That the war was wrongly made against king Henry." 

Count Thibault ' of France arose from his seat. 
And said to the emperor where was his great baronage : 
" Gentle king of Saint-Denis, rage seizes my body. 
I am your liege-man by fealty and by homage, 
I am quite ready to make war and to find a host ; 
I will serve you forty days in the first rank, 

50 And I will do to king Henry, I think, such damage 
That it will not be repaired in all his life ; 
He will not escape it anywhere in plain or wood, 
If he give not back his heritage to his son the young king. 
The kingdom of England, if he will act wisely. 
You will leave him Normandy, if he appeases your wrath. 
If there is anything mistaken and if I have said any too much. 
Or anybody would prove it against me in hb language. 
Behold me here in your court ready to ofier my gage. 
This person is peijured to you, and seeks your shame." 

60 Already are of one accord the king and his barons. 
And send messengers through many r^ons ; 
King Henry they defy for those reasons. 
Put the fair lands to great destruction. 

In the month of April at Easter was the host of France summoned. 
And they ride into the marches, they display their banners. 
King Henry rides against them with spurs. 
And had in his company ten thousand Braben9ons 
And many a gentle knight, Angevin and Gascon, 
Who will cause to those of France ire and contention. 

70 Very great was the host of France which Lewis brings. 
To destroy the father the son takes very great pains. 
When he has conquered and taken him in war he will lead him to 

Saint-Denis ; * 
But the king his father had promised him something else. 
That he shall see many a flag and many a horse of price» 
Many a shield lined white and red and grey. 
And many a joust made against his enemies; 
Before he should be in battle a recreant and conquered. 

The lord of England has in his heart a weight 
Since his son makes war against him, whom he bred from infancy, 

^ Thibault Y. count of Blois and ChAmpagne, died in 1191, at the siege of 
Acres. See L'Art do vdrif. les Dates, il 618. 
s This line occurs only in the LincDin MS. 




JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 2^7 

80 [And sees that those of Flanders have led him astray : 

They promised him the land of the English for certain ;]^ 

He would rather have died than lived that he (his son) should have 
the power. 

As long as he could strike with sword or lance. 

He drew up his baronage with brave countenance ; 

Goes against Lewis, the rich king of France, 

Against the count Philip, of whom you hear talk. 

And lord Matthew his brother, a knight of valour. 

God helped much the father the day, when he advanced. 

And showed a fair sign about his war ; 
90 For the helpers of his son, in whom his hope most was. 

Were this day routed without any delay. 

It was Matthew the warrior, on whom came the lance ; 

King Henry shall have no more fear of him. 
The count of Boulogne has received a mortal wound, 

Down to his spurs of gold the red blood runs : 

He shall never recover, much though he try. 

The more his brother grieves, and the more he is dismayed himself ; 

And swears his oath, the precious wound. 

Never with king Henry he will be appeased. 
100 Now rides Lewis, so does the young king. 

And Philip is put in great disarray. 

The count Thibault of France shows great pride. 

Soon king Henry shall know where to move himself : 

The French raise war against him, the Flemings and the Capei,* 

The earl of Leicester,' and there are also all his three sons. 

He of Tancarville * in truth does not love him ; 

One hundred knights at arms he brings in his retinue. 

Who all threaten to put him in such a disarray 

They will not leave him of land the worth of a palfrey. 
110 Lords, by my troth, much marvel is there 

Why his vassab desire so to deal with him, 

[He who was] the most honourable and conquering 

That was in any land since the time of Moses, 

Except only king Charles, whose power was great 

Through the twelve companions Oliver and Roland. 
One has never heard in fable or in story 

Of one single king of his valour and great power. 

Although &ey all come threatening him, he swears by his head 

He will not cease to hawk by the river side or to hunt his beast. 
1 20 Now rides the count Philip with his great host. 

And wastes Normandy by wood and plain. 

You would never have heard king Henry once complain of it. 

Nor ever seek occasion to stop the war. 

Much had the young king done, who bathes himself so well ; 

Still he has in his command the barons of Britany. 

' These two lines are wanting in the Lincohi MS. 

' The people of a place of Vermandois, which then belonged to the count of 
Flanden. » Dugd. Boron. L 87. 

* William, the son of Rabel de Tancarvillo. 



248 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

When the father heard it, he was sorry and angry. 

And swears his oath that wrongly it was ever thought. 

And said to his knights : " Lords, now hear me. 

Never in my life was I so sorry. 
130 Rage seizes my body, I am nearly mad. 

The barons of Britany have already opposed me ; 

To those who hate me to death they have abandoned themselves. 

To king Lewis of France and to my eldest son. 

Who come disiiiheriting me of what I possess. 

He would rob me of my land and fiefs and heritages. 

I am not so old, people know that enough. 

That I should lose land on account of my great age. 

With the still moon watch to-night. 

In order that neither the Flemings nor the natives of the land be 
in ambush. 
140 The barons of Britany, you know it well enough. 

As far as Finistere, are in my power ; 

But Raoul of Fougeres ^ has against me rebelled. 

The earl Hugh ' of Chester is bound to him : 

I will not fail to see them for the cost of fine and pure gold. 

If I could find them in their fortresses ; 

And since our enemies are so confident. 

Then it is well to invade them with a great hatred. 

Craft is better than war against outlaws. 

Than bad assault, if they are discouraged." 
150 His baronage replies : " You are full of goodness. 

All your enemies are entered into a bad year. 

Yours is the land, so defend it ; 

Wrongly wars against you your son." 

Now behold these knights gone down from the palace ; 

And go to seize their arms quickly and forthwith. 

Put on their hauberks and breastplates, lace their ornamented helms. 

Take by the handles the Vianese shields. 

Then you might hear the old king Henry call God to witness : 

" Wrongly will the traitors have met me in the stubble-fields.' 
160 From the town are issued knights in array. 

Less than sixty ' thousand and more than sixty-three ; 

There is none of them who does not think himself as good as a 
Welsh king. 
Now rides king Henry with all his host. 

Towards Dol in Britany he holds his way. 

And said to William * of Humet, when he was in the expedition : 

" Let us not talk of delay : behold their country. 

Those of the castle have already seen William and his banner. 

And see that the Braban9ons come all in the rear. 

See the Norman host who will make us retreat. 
1 70 Normans are good conquerors, there is nobody like them : 

Everywhere we find it in story that Normans are victors. 

* He succeeded his father in 1154, and died in 1196. L'Art, iL 897^ 

* Dugd. Baron. L 40. ' In the Lincoln MS. " thirty thousand." 

* Dugd. Baron, i. 631. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 249 

Think of it, Sir Raoul, for the company is fierce. 

The young king who wars against his father has betrayed us, 

When he left die ways to be on the river. 

I see no means how we can defend [ourselves] ; 

They will receive neither silver nor gold, prayer will nought avail us." 
Raoul answers to this : " Folly has no business here. 

Nor jest, nor joking, nor any levity ; 

But whoso knows good counsel, let him come forward and say it. 
180 We have no fear to lose either life or limb. 

The old king conducts himself with very great folly. 

When he of Britany demands the seigniory.* 

Threatens us for his possessions and his lands 

But he shall not go as his pride guides him. 

Such a counsel now let us take, without strife of anger. 

That we be not to-day dishonoured, nor the land misgoverned. 

This castle is not strong : let us not trust to it ; 

Let us go out against [them], so we will assail them." 
Then they charged each other in the middle of the plain, 
1 90 Lord William of Humet and those of his company. 

There is no knight of value who does not break there his lance. 

Whoever would joust against a companion, soon found there his 
match. 

By force were driven together the barons of Britany 

Into their very fortresses ; there is none who does not then com- 
plain of it. 
By force was in his castle lord Raoul of Fougeres, 

Hugh the earl of Chester proclaims himself a miserable sinner ; 

Neither mai^onel nor stonebow was able to serve them. 

The war which they have made shall be sold them dear, 
, For now goes a messenger to king Henry the father, 
200 To Rouen in Normandy on a black horse used to rivers ; 

And told him what had happened to his fierce people. 

To the earl of Chester, to Raoul of Fougeres. 

Then he praises God the glorious and the glorious saint Peter : 

" Discomfited are my enemies : alas that I was not there ! " 
He gets ready his baronage, in which he trusts much ; 

Towards Dol in Britany he has taken his way ; 

But when he was come there with his knights. 

Joyous he boasts of the fact to his followers. 

Those who were in the castle did not rejoice at all, 
210 They much fear his coming and dread his power ; 

They had not victuals enough to sustain their life. 

They have surrendered themselves to king Henry, he holds them 
in his power. 
" Lords," quoth king Henry, " now counsel me : 

My son is in the wrong towards me, it is meet that you know it ; 

For rent perforce he will have from my estates : 

Reason, I think, there is none why it should be paid to him. 

From a man of my power it is not to be thus extracted : 

And that which is by force taken or gained 

> Thifl line does not occur in the Durham MS. 



250 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. 

Is nor right nor reasonable, so it is often judged. 
220 To guard my franchise I am enough iU-treated, 

And by those of Flanders often annoyed ; 

So we do not want more to be damaged. 

Tou aU together, lords, I pray that you aid me ; 

In pitched battle your strength essay. 

With all your might for me strive : 

Never you loved me, if at need you fail me. 

Earl Hugh of Chester along with you take. 

On Raoul of Fougeres I w^ execute my will ; 

I will leave him quite free within his estates, 
230 By this condition that he be my liege. 

If afterwards against me he rebels by any iniquity. 

He shall hold in Britany neither estates nor heritages. 

Arm, lords, your bodies ; ride quickly : 

My son is quite ready for the battle. 

The rent he demands, let us pay it widi our swords 

And with keen brands and pointed darts." 

For this news many are joyous and glad : 

They are the knights the valiant and polite ; 

And the eari of Chester is grieved and wroth, 
240 Nor hopes in his life to be disimprisoned. 

Frightened are the French at tiie fierce tidings 

The heart of the bravest trembles and staggers ; 

But he comforts them who leads them on. 

Ire he has in his heart, his blood boils. 

For counsel he goes to his most loyal men. 

In romance he dictates a letter, with a ring seals it ; 

The messengers of the young king before him he calls : 

It was king Lewis who gave the message. 
Depart the messengers who bear the letters, 
250 They pass the salt sea, the kingdoms traverse ; 

The forests, the plains, the dangerous fords they pass. 

They come to Scotland and the king they find. 

On the part of the young king Henry the writings present. 

Now shall you hear the words which there were written : 
" To the king of Scotland, William,* the best. 

To whom our lineage was formerly ancestor. 

The king Henry the young sends you by love. 

You must remember me who am your lord. 

It seems to me very marvellous, and I have fear in the heart, 
260 Of so rich a king, of a man of thy valour. 

Who has such strength of people and such vigour in himself. 

That you will not help me in war, if you like, at first. 

To war against my father, thou and thy counts. 

I will give thee the land which thy ancestors had. 

Thou never hadst from a king so great an estate in land. 

The land beyond Tyne, under the heavens I do not know a better. 

You shall have the lordship in castle and in tower ; 

We will give you Carlisle, that you may be stronger, 

> William the Lion, who Bucceeded to the throne 24th Dec. 1165. 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 251 

All Westmoreland without any contradiction, 
270 That you help me with strength and readiness. 

Drive away those who hold these lands." 
Now has the king of Scotland in his heart great sorrow 

When he hears the command of the young kmg. 

That he owes to him his homage agamst all people ; 

On the other hand he sends him greeting as to a relation. 

That he will give him his land which belongs to his estate. 

Which all the kings of Scotland held in their life-time ; 

And to the old king his father he owes likewise 

Homage and service, allegiance true. 
280 It is not right that for promise he should act so boldly 

That he should knowingly destroy the land of the old king. 

Before he has claimed his inheritance. 

If he means to contradict him, then let him do his pleasure. 

Let him render his homage without pretext ; 

And when he has rendered it to him, and if he takes it well. 

Let him in any court deny the covenant ; 

For the will of the prince is held as judgment. 

Then held king William his plenary parliament ; 

From the sages of his land he wished to have counsel, 
290 If he should to the young king keep his oath. 

There is none to contradict him or to forbid him. 
The king goes to consult with his baronage. 

Tells them the news which they heard of the king : 

The young one of England, who wars against his father. 

Asks him for the land ; but he still refuses it. 

" I will tell by messengers the father, in Normandy, 

That he must give me back a part of my inheritance : 

That is Northumberland, which he holds in his power ; 

And if he will not do so and refuses it quite, 
300 I owe him in future neither fealty nor friendship." 
Answers earl Duncan,^ and says as a baron : 

" The old king is reasonable, so let him have his right ; 

Do not seek any opportunity of committing an outrage. 

If he likes, you must serve him as his liege-man : 

Let him restore you your rights without any subterfuge. 

Then you will come to succour him with all speed. 

Fair word exhibited by reason is better 

Than threatening in asking for any gift ; 

And whoever does otherwise, seeks destruction, 
310 His own death and his damage and his confusion.' 
Earl Duncan has spoken very wisely ; 

There is nobody who contradicts him, to my knowledge. 

Then said the king himself, the barons and the people : 

" This counsel is loyal, and it pleases me. 

Let us send our messengers with this mandate. 

And let them do their duty like valiant chevaliers." 
The messengers go, their horses they spur. 

They slacken their reins on the great paved roads. 

1 Dancan IL earl of Fife. 



252 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

The horses are very good, which spring beneath them. 

320 They come to Normandy^ they do not stay long ; 
Find the old king Henry, address him wisely. 
From the king of Scotbmd their letters then they give him. 

Friar WiUiam Dolepene ' speaks the first. 
And said to the king of England : " I am a messenger. 
From the king of Scotland I come to inform you : 
He is your relation, therefore you must love him much ; 
He will serve you in this business, you will not see him delay. 
With a thousand knights armed, beifore an entire month elapses, 
With thirty thousand unarmed (so I have heard them reckoned). 

330 Who will give your enemies wonderful trouble. 
He will not ask the value of a penny from you. 
So that you will grant him his rights : 
That b Northumberland which he requires first of all. 
For nobody has such great reason to challenge it as he has. 
Now you see me here in your court, I do not require any future time, 
I will leave it to be decided by a single knight ; 
And if you will not do it, in order to disinherit him. 
Here I return you his homage, I do not seek to conceal it from you." 
When the king of England hears the message 

340 Of his cousin of Scotland, of his intention. 

He says to his messenger that he will do nothing ; 

He does not require, on answering, either stranger or relation : 

" Tell the king of Scotland that I am not afraid 

Of any war I may have with my son at present. 

Neither of the king of France, nor of his people. 

Nor the count of Flanders who assails me often. 

I will make them enraged and sorry for their war. 

And I will give him annoyance, if God allows it me ; 

But tell his brother, David,' my relation, 

350 To come and help me with as many people as he has : 
I will give him as much land and as many estates 
As to execute all his demands to his satisfaction." 
— " Sire," quoth the messenger, " I make a covenant with you for it; 
But give us leave to go in safety." 

Then the messengers set out from Normandy, 
Find a good passage, do not delay there. 
They traverse England, they come to Albany. 
The messengers are wise, they do not care about amusement. 
Meet with nobody who does them harm or says any thing bad 

360 From the sea of Dover as far as Orkney. 

Soon they will tell such a word of war with rage 

For which they also shall weep who have not heard it : 

" Sire king of Scotland, God save thy baronage. 
Thy body and thy courage and thy great retinue ! 
From the king of England I return as a messenger : 

^ "Dolipene/' MS. Lincoln. If it were lawful to hazard a cox^jectnre, it 
would seem that here we ought to read D'Olifent. 

' David, earl of Huntingdon, was brother of William the Lion. See Dugd. 
Baron, i. 609. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 253 

Now hear his mandate, do not make light of it : 

He marvels much at you, that you have madness in your body ; 

He considered you a wise man, not of a childish age. 

As one whom he loved best, without showing any injury. 

You should not have required from him such an outrageous 
deed : 
370 You ask him for his land as your inheritance. 

As if he were imprisoned as a bird in a cage. 

He is neither a mgitive from the land nor become a savage. 

But he is king of England in the plains and the woods. 

He will not give you for his need in this first stage 

Increase of land, this is in his language ; 

But will see whether you will show him love and relationship. 

How you will behave, as foolish or wise." 

Then you might hear those knights, the people young and wild, 
380 Swear a strong oath and exhibit courage : 

" If you do not war against this king who beards you so. 

You must hold neither land nor any lordship ; 

But must serve the son of Matilda in bondage." 
Now the king of Scotland hears that his people oppose him ; 

He had not Engelram ^ the bishop, the best of his clergy, 

Nor earl Waltheof * does not venture 

To counsel war (he well sees that it is folly). 

So that the king himself often opposes him 

By the suggestion of those who love folly ; 
390 And swears his oath, " God the son of Mary : 

The war will not the less take place because of your cowardice. 

You have enough in treasure, goods and property : 

Defend your land and seek aid for you ; 

And, if you will not do so, in all your life 

You shall not have of my land the value of a clove of garlick." 
Thus answers him the earl : " Restrain this indination : 

I am your li^e-man, so were my relations. 

We know nothing of war : therefore I fear. 

To begin strife there must be deliberation : 
400 You should not trust to foolish enticement. 

Nor put faith in the folly of foreign people. 

If good can come to you, they will often gain , 

They will not lose much', if it turns out unfortunately for you. 

The peasant says in proverb, and says very truly: 

' He injures who cannot aid, when tlie trial comes on.' 

Do not imagine that I say it through any fear. 

Nor that I shall fail you in war as long as I am Uving." 
When this counsel was given, the king did not heed it : 

The war will still take place, though Albany were lost ; 
410 But he wishes to send beyond the sea a spy 

To see the situation of the father in Normandy ; 

And then afterwards to Flanders, to the son, in whom he trusts. 

His letters and messages, to tell him loudly : 

' Engelram, biahop of Glasgow. Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 233. 

' Widtheof, eari of Dunbar, died in 1182. Chronicle of Melroee, ad an. 



254 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

" How the king his father by word opposes me 

And by'^such a menace as you have heard ; 

And if he will keep covenant by pledged faith, 

I will not fail to give him aid speedily. 

So let him send us from Flanders his Flemings with a navy. 

By hundreds and by fifties of those bold people : 
420 I will give them the road to the people who war against us. 

They will attack the castles by r^ular siege. 

" William de Saint-Michel will deliver this message. 

And Robert de Husevile ; for both are wise : 

They have often given proof of ability in need. 

They well know in rich court to speak many a language." 
To do this message depart these messengers ; 

The king desires it and it is his pleasure^ so they do it most willingly. 

At Berwick-on-T]rne' they find the boatmen. 

Who will take to Flanders the wise messengers. 
430 Already they have entered barges, and go on the high sea. 

And hoist up their sails, and cause the anchor to be weighed ; 

They do not care to coast along England : 

They are their mortal enemies, whom they used to love. 
When these knights have found their lord 

With the king of France, Lewis the emperor. 

They deliver their messages gently and without anger. 

So that the counts of France hear it well ; 

And count Philip is put in such emotion. 

The noble warrior speaks before the others. 
440 Now speaks count PhiUp a sensible speech. 

Before the court of France ; it was very well heard : 

" Keep to the king of Scotland the pledged faith ; 

That he may aid you in war, hastily, without delay ; 

Destroy your enemies and waste their country. 

That by fire and conflagration all may be kindled ; 

That he may leave them nothing without, eitherinforest orin meadow. 

Of which they may in the morning have a dinner ; 

Then let him besiege their castles with his assembled people : 

They shall have no succour nor aid within thirteen leagues. 
450 " Thus war should be begun, such is my opinion : 

First to destroy the land and then one's enemy. 

We will help him from Flanders ere fifteen days come. 

By which those of England will be disabled." 
As soon as count Philip finished his attack. 

King Lewis of France wills it and agrees to it ; 

And says to our messengers : " Soon shall be sealed 

The charter that you will take to your country. 

Tell the king of Scotland, without any delay. 

The land is all his own which he has demanded." 
460 When these messengers had come and reached the land. 

Then were they quite certain of beginning the war. 

Enough you might hear without going far : 

" Let us go to take the castle of Wark in England." 

^ Fantome here blonden; read Berwick-on-Tweed. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 255 

Never was bom a man so memorable. 
Neither Solomon the wise, nor David who wrote the history^ 
Who did not glory in having such a great victory 
As these promised him ; but all was vain glory. 

Now has the king of Scotland his host prepared 
At Caldenle/ there they were assembled. 
70 The trumpets were what then were loved. 

Which afterwards drove them from the land by force. 

From Ross and from Moray they have a great host gathered. 
Certainly, earl Colbein' did not forget himself there. 
Lords, uie earl of Angus' came there with such aid. 
More than three thousand Scots he had in his command. 
There were so many naked people, I know not what more to tell you. 
There came not such a host from Scotland since the time of Elias. 

Then came king William to Wark in England, 
A castle in the marches which afterwards made him great war, 
80 Labour and trouble, and often great opposition ; 
He inquired from the constable what he meant to do. 
Either to hold or give up, which he thought proper. 

Roger d'Estutevile * was its constable. 
Who never liked treason nor to serve the devil ; 
And saw that his power was of no avail 

Against the host of Scotland, which besides them strongly, 
Neiti^er to surrender his castle he should have any terms : 
It was no marvel if lord Roger were dismayed. 
Then he prays to God die glorious and his mother true : 
190 " Such counsel give me that I may preserve my honour. 
For the Scots war against me without any respite." 

Roger d'Estutevile speaks to his intimate fiiends. 
And says : " Barons, knights, say what you recommend. 
See the host of the king of Scotland who has defied us ; 
And we shall be scorned within these holds. 
We shall have no succour nor help from any of our neighbours." 

Then he invokes his lord, Henry the valiant king ; 
The tears along his face go falling down : 
" Evil was your strength, since now you are powerless ! 
»00 You cannot aid your baron in any way whatever. 
I will go to the king of Scotland, asking for a truce. 
Forty days space, that I may pass the sea. 
If then I cannot succour myself afterwards by right. 
You have lost without fail all Northumberland." 

Roger d'Estutevile came to speak to the king. 
Wise with humility, [and] without doing anything wrong ; 
All those of his suite kept themselves in ranks, 

^ In MS. Lincoln, Ealedene de gr^ which is apparentlj an error. There is a 
place in SeUdrkshire caUed Caldenlea, where the Calden fidls into the Tweed, and 
this is most probablj the place meant. 

* Probablj Colban, earl of Fife. 

' Qilibrede, second earl of Angus. DougL Peerage of Scotland, i. 62. 

* Not mentioned in Dugdale's Baronage; but his name occurs as sheriff of 
Northumberland from 1170 to 1185 inclusiye, in the Pipe RoU for that county, 
printed by Hodgson. 



256 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

And says in his address : " Sire« listen to me. 

" Do not do me shame, refrain your ire. 
510 Much do I love your welfare, but let not mine suffer. 

Forty days space, that I may pass the sea, [give me,] sire. 

That I may send beyond sea my letters under wax ; 

Or I myself will go there, whichever I please to choose. 

And will say to my lord it would be wrong to sing or laugh : 

If Jesus does not take care of the people of his empire. 

He will not see them, for they will be all delivered to martyrdom." 

Then saw king William Roger in great sorrow, 
All Northumberland harassed with woe ; 
There is none to oppose him or his vigour : 
520 Willingly did he grant the space till the fortieth day. 

Now says Jordan Fantosme * that Grod protected them : 
All those of Northumberland who were there. 
Were it not for this truce which Roger asked. 
Would have been driven from the land by those of Albany ; 
But the wise knight who loved his lord 
Prepares his messengers, he accoutred himself. 
Went to England, asked for help. 
So that within his term such a host he brought 
That then to the king of Scotland full leave he gave 
530 To attack him with his Flemings, and he will wait for them. 

Then says king William : " Hear, my knights. 
Throughout Nordiumberland I will take my way : 
There is no one to oppose us, whom should we then fear ? 
The bishop of Durham ' (behold his messenger] 
Informs me by his letters he wishes to remain at peace : 
Neither from him nor his forces shall we have disturbance. 
Of which I can complain to the value of a penny. 
Let us go to Alnwick, if you will allow me. 
To William de Vesci * whom I cannot overcome. 
540 If he will give up his father's castle to me, 
I will then let him go without loss of limb ; 
Or if he will make with me the same agreement 
Which the constable of Wark made the day before yesterday. 
Without collecting ammunition and without fortifying anything. 
Let us go to Warkworth, that I will destroy." 

Then the great host of Albany went to Alnwick ; 
But William de Vesci did not forget himself there. 
Often calls with love the aid of the Holy Father, 
He invokes his lord more than a knight his mistress, 
550 And says : " Barons, knights," to those of his bailiwick, 
" Wisdom and folly are often good at need : 
Now come each of you, tell us your opinion about this. 
How we shall manage against the host which defies us." 

Much was the father joyous in his heart 
To have begotten a good son, though it was in concubinage : 

' Fantome, MS. Lincoln. * Hugh de Puday. 

* William de Veaci was lord of the castles of Alnwick and Warkworth, both in 
Northumberland. See Dugd. Baroa i 92. 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 257 

Of young William I say it in my language. 

Who his father's castle held by vassalage. 

The king departed then, made no longer stay there ; 

And the former sent for succour his letters and his messenger. 
560 Knights and Serjeants and the other pillagers 

Take and destroy the land next the sea. 

They come to Warkworth, do not deign to stop there ; 

For weak was the castle, the wall and the trench. 

And Roger ' the son of Richard, a valiant knight. 

Had had it in ward ; but he could not guard it. 

Of this Roger the son of Richard I must certainly tell you : 

Of Newcastle-on-T]rne was he master and lord ; 

He was seized with such boldness and great ire 

That he would neither speak of peace to the king of Scotland nor 
laugh. 
570 Thither came the king of Scotland with armed people and naked ; 

The hills and the valleys dread his coming. 

A greater folly than his never was seen. 

To the barons of the land it will be very dearly sold : 

He will give them, before his departure, such a discomfiture 

He will not leave them outside the castle an ox to their plough. 
But the barons are devoted to their lord, 

rhey care as little for their property as does a wild beast ; 

They prefer dying with honour rather than suffer shame 

[And] abandon their natural lord, though they lose their lands. 
580 They will endure and wait : they do so wisely ; 

But they will not surrender their castles though they suffered great 
damage. 
Well sees the king of Scotland that he will never succeed 

In conquering Newcastle-on-Tyne without stratagem ; 

And say his counsellors : " Wrongly do you hang your head. 

[Before succour comes to them, they all will be in despair ;] ' 

But warn the host to be ready in the morning ; 

Go conquer Carlisle, of which we spoke. 

[Robert de Vaus ' will never have such a good sable. 

Nor eat meat, nor drink such wine, 
590 When he sees so many fine shields, so many Poitevin helmets. 

But he win wish to be a bishop on the chess-board."] 
Thus said king William : " Then may I be cursed. 

Excommunicated by priest, shamed and discomfited. 

If to the castle of Odinel * I give any terms or respite ! 

But I will entirely put an end to his joy and his delight. 

Earl Henry * my father loved and reared him ; 

But at length he will say that it was a misfortune to see me, 

* TluB baron is often mentioned in the Pipe Rolls, 14 Hen. IL Concerning 
him, see Hodgson's Magnns Rotulus Pipas, pp. xii xiv. 

' This line is wanting in the Lincoln MS., as are also lines 588-591. 

* See concerning him, Dugd. Baron, i. 525. 

* Odinel de Umfrayille's castle was that of Prudhoe in Northumberland. 
Dngd. Baron. L 504. 

* Henry, the father of king William, was the son of David I., Idng^ of 
Scotland. 

VOL. IV. S 



25S CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. 

For he in whom he trusts will be of a very little use to him. 

[He makes him a refusal of his assistance."] ^ 
600 There the king of Scotland made his earls, his barons. 

Pitch his pavilions, his tents and his marquees ; 

And said to his baronage : " Lords, what shall we do there ? 

As long as Prudhoe stands, we will never have peace." 

Thus say the Flemings : " We will destroy it. 

Or wroi^ly you wiU give us pay and provisions." 

And said the other party : '' Never will we speak of it. 

We will never consent to his making any enterprise ; 

But let him go forward to conquer, and we will help him. 

Northumberland is ours, when we come back." 
610 — " Sire, king of Scotland," say his counsellors, 

" Of all your rights Carlisle is the most difficult [to secure] ; 

And since the young king is willing to give you aJl, 

Go and conquer the capital, we advise you tfius ; 

And if Robert de Vaus will not give the chief town. 

From the old high tower you must have him thrown. 

Lay siege to it, and then make your great assembled host 

To swear not to stir from it 

"nil you have seen the city on fire. 

The master- wall pulled down with your pickaxes of steel, 
620 Himself fastened to a high gallows. 

Then you will see Robert de Vaus slinking awav ; 

As far as I know, vou will not find him so bold 

That he will be able to resist you long by force." 

And said king William : " If God wUl aid us. 

This counsel is advisable, so let us execute it." 

In the night he makes his watchmen watch his host. 

Till the following morning at dawn when the day appeared dear. 

When he made his trumpets sound to put the host m motion ; 

And the Serjeants and esquires take down the tents. 
630 King WiUiam goes with his great baronage ; 

But before they return to their wild country. 

They will have made such dami^ among die English of En^and 

That a thousand will leave their heads there for their own hostage. 

For they are fierce in war and of very rash courage : 

This is quite evident to those whom they find in dieir way. 

Those who are caught in plain or in wood 

Will never tell stories to any of their Uneage. 

Well knew the king of Scotland to make war upon his enemies. 

And often in war to grieve and injure [them] ; 
640 But he was too much accustomed to listen to new advice. 

He cherished, loved and held foreigners dear ; 

His own people he would never love. 

Who should of right advise him and his kingdom 

This appeared soon, presently you shall hear me speak of it. 

What happened of his war through evil counsellors. 

The king makes his people get ready ; 

To those within he will give a complete assault. 

* Omitted in the Lincoln Ma 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 259 

Great was the noise at the beginning of the fight. 

The swords clash, and the steel crashes, 
K) [Scarcely a hauberk or helmet remained whole.] ^ 

That day those within were knights. 

With their swords they make many a shield shattered, 

fhey leave many of them stretched near the wall 

Who had no leisure to get up again. 

Henceforth those within must help [themselves]. 

Endure the battle and damage the shields. 

Hold and contend for their barbican : 

No coward could be useful to them. 

At the gate there was a great attack, 
30 On both sides great was the fiiry. 

Then you might see so many bleeding knights. 

So many good vassals in bad humour ; 

The swords dash and intermingle. 

Robert de Vans defended himself bravely ; 

The son of Odard ' was not at all behindhand. 

For his lord he behaved himself most daringly 

In standing against so many people : 

Forty thousand, if Fantosme ^ does not lie. 

There is none who does not hate him mortally. 
JO Oh ! God ! what sorrow for gentle king William ! 

From long Henry he will have such mortal blame ; 

This grieves me, by the illustrious saint James ! 

For a nobler man never governed a realm. 
Fantosme says and assures to us well 

That he would not think any day of his life 

To fight Henry of Normandy, 

The son of Matilda who has the hardy countenance ; 

But by counsel and by evil envy 

One may make a wise man commit a great folly. 
U) But smce he had undertaken the thing thus. 

He could not leave it so through great cowardice. 

He orders peace to be kept towards the holy church. 

On those who infringe it he executes cruel justice ; 

But that is not worth to him a single clove of garlic : 

The rascally people, (whom may the Lord God curse !) 

The Welsh, who wish for booty. 

And the Scots, who are in Albany, 

Have no faith in Grod the Son of Mary ; 

They break open the churches and commit great robberies. 
O Tlie barons put themselves to great trouble 

Who held their estates from the sovereign king ; 

For their lord they have great sorrow certainly : 

His enemies have given diem a present. 

If God and Mary Magdalen do not think of it. 

Great war they will have which will be very severe to them. 

. * This line is wanting in the Lincoln MSu 

> John Fita-Odard is mentioned in the Northnmberimnd Pipe Roll, 14 Hen. IL 
Sea Hodgson's Magnus Rotnlns Pipe, p. xIt. * ** Fantome " KS. Lincoln. 

S2 



260 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENOLANJ). 

The land which was so fidl of such prosperity 

Is now spoiled and destitute of all riches ; 

There is no drink but spring water 

Where they used to have beer in the week. 
700 And all is done by the king of Albany, 

By his counsel and by his great folly ; 

But now there arises to him great loss infallibly. 

He will not depart without having shame. 

Those of the castle will have speedy aid : 

So fares it with people who in the Lord God trust. 
Hear, lords, what happens from too great daring. 

What happened to them from savage Scotland. 

Fine was the weather without any bad storm ; 

The king of Scotland was of bold courage, 
710 Good knight and of great valour. 

Before him came wandering a messenger, 

A canon was he, and knew the language ; 

Hastily he related to him his complaint. 
The king was in his pavilion ; 

The warders near and around. 

His chamberlains and his private friends. 

There where the messenger delivered to them such a speech 

Bv which they were afterwards excited to contention. 

The messenger told them the whole, 
720 How he had seen the armed people. 

The great pride of the chevaliers 

Who would assault him before sunrise. 

" He of Lucy, the wise, the sensible. 

Before midnight will be joined with our men. 

Take care thereof, for God of majesty. 

That you are not disgraced nor shamed. 

All the best of your relations 

Come with him, every one has sworn to him. 

Trust to advice, the best is given to you. 
730 To Roxburgh go in safety. 

If you delay any longer, 

A bad song will be sung of you. 

Never did Thibault de Balesgue ' give 

> << The romance, to which Fantosme alludes here, was well known in Eng^d. 
In a certificate or memoir concerning some books found, in the third year of 
Edward I/s reign, we find this mention of it: 'Le Romaonoe WiUeame de 
Orenges et Tabaud de Arable.' Formulare AngU&XMkm, p. 12» No. xziiL A copy 
of it was bequeathed bj Guy Beauchamp, earl of WarwidE, to the abbey of 
Bordesley in Worcestershire, May Ist, 34 Edward L or IIL See our TnMt», 
ToL L p. cxzi L 2. 

** Fantosme's allusion, and the following lines taken from a poem of the twelfth 
century, show its antiquity : 

Mais une merveille veoit 

Qui polist faire grant paor 

Au plus hardi combateor 

De toz ices que nos savons, 

Se fust Thiebauz li Eaclavons 

Ou Opiniax ou Femaguz, etc 
{Le Roman d^Sree et cPBnide, Ma of the Royal Library, No. 7498^ Gang6, 26, foL 
41 yerso, ooL 2. 1. 26.)"— Jftc^f Note. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 261 

So bad a check to the natives of France 

As those hardened ones of the south will give you. 

If you and they encounter each other/' 

The king hears him, and is very angry. 

Without delay swore by saint Andrew : 

" We stop here quite secure ; 
40 Battle win not be refused them. 

A brave man ought certainly to conquer his inheritance. 

My ancestors of the kingdom of Scotland 

Held that estate in quietness. 

By this Lord whom they implore on foot ! 

And I will hold it from the king to whom I am pledged. 

The son of the father who has given me my rights ; 

As long as I live I will not lose a single foot of it." 

He would have already well addressed his host. 

When a counsel is given him by his men : 
50 As he wished to be still honoured. 

He should leave the si^e and depart of his own free will. 

So he did indeed, nor stayed longer there. 

By none of his men were the reins drawn. 

To Roxburgh, where they were before. 

He went by night like one who was in haste ; 

Not a single one of his host lagged behind. 

Who did not go away through very great cowardice. 

Without any attack having been made upon them 
: Or being shouted at or damaged in any thing. 
SO Robert de Vans gained in diis chase. 

He earned great wealth from these fugitives ; 

But, whoever is sorry for it or bears any ill will to him. 

He will strengthen his place with their property. 

Bends his foot and extends his talons. 

Thanks God and prays that He will not hate him. 
Now the great host of England rides secure. 

Sir Richard de Lucy, no better needs be sought for. 

Well assbts his lord to maintain his war. 

And he knows at need to ask for truces and peace 
JO Where he sees force and it is necessary to ask for them. 
He rides in the land destroyed and wasted : ' 

That is Northumberland which was already renowned. 

From here to the passes of Spain there was not such a country 

Nor more fruitful, nor people more honoured ; 

Now it is in great famine, it has become annihilated, 

-If by the king of England aid is not given. 

He sighs and thinks how it is decayed. 

And curses the war for having already begun ; 

Then he thinks in his heart, if the Lord God pleases, 
K) By him and his forces it will be soon avenged. 

And by the good men who are of the country. 

Who desire greatly to revenge their sufferings. 

Sir Humphrey de Bohun * was of very great cleverness, 

> See Dugd. Baron. 1 179. 



262 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND 

As soon as he can spur he goes from the chief-justice : 

It is lord Richard de Lucy whom every body prizes. 

He did not wish to provoke the king of Scotland in any way, 

iPor a messenger of his tells him news : 

He had come to the land, who will lay si^ to them. 

The earl of Leicester has thus undertaken the thing 
790 With Flemings and with French and with people towards Friseland, 

He will turn England whoUv at his command. 
" God !" quo£ Richard de Lucy, " what great distress I am in ! 

If the king of Scotland knew what is doing. 

We should have neither peace nor truce for all the wealth of France: 

And he ought not to do it, unless he were a great child." 

He rides and spurs, and has in his heart heaviness ; 

But before he could succeed to speak in the hearing 

Of the king of Albany or do his business 

Had lord Humphrey de Bohun who boldlv advances 
SOO Caused to the king of Scotland the loss oi Berwick. 

Lord Humphrey de Bohun was of very great consequence ; 

The barons of Northumberland are his companions in it ; 

Thev burnt all Berwick with fire and firebrands 

Ancl a great part of the surrounding country. 

For they appear in their marches cruel as lions ; 

But lord Richard de Lucy does not care for such speech. 

And says in his language : " Sir Humphrey de Bohun, 

[The barons of Northumberland are his companions in it] * 

Ah ! if God does not take care, we shall certainly lose. 
810 " Sir Humphrey de Bohun," quoth Richard de Lucy. 

[Who did not go away through very great cowardice. 

Without any attack having been made upon them 

Or being shouted at or damaged in any thing. 

Robert de Vans gained in this chase] ' 

" Let us go to the king of Scotland to cry him mercy 

To hold peace and truce to our king Henry. 

llie most of England have all failed him. 

Know you the news that we have heard ? 

The earl of Leicester has ill-treated us all ; 
820 He has arrived in North Wales,' you may be certain of it. 

And has taxed the land as if he was sheriff of it. 

As far as Dunwich by force he got it." 

Now is Humphrey de Bohun angry in his heart : 

*' Sir Richard de Lucy, your age will now appear; 

And if you are now, as they say, so wise. 

Go in haste to the king of Scotland, conceal from him this damage. 

If he knows this news he will be of a very fierce courage. 

That the earl has arrived and succeeded in passing. 

He will not give you his truce, unless he has madness in his body; 

I * This line, evidently a repetition of line 802, doee not occur in the Lincoln H& 
* Another careless repetition of the lines 757 — 760. This mistake is not 

found in the Lincoln MS. 

' Arwelle, MS. Lincoln, obviously the correct reading, as OrweQ harbour in 

Sussex is the point indicated. See further, line 841. 



JORDAN PANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 263 

830 I will go back, it will be for his dam^. 

If God is willing and agrees, I will emce the outrage. 

Wrongly they had arrived from Flanders the wild." 
Now has Richard de Lucy done as a sensible [man]. 

He has from the king of Scotland all he had asked 

Of truces for Northumberland till about summer ; 

And lord Humphrey de Bohun is gone back 

And many a gentle knight in England bom ; 

They will be in a short time with Flemings acquainted. 
You have heard it well, the Uttle and tibe great, 
840 That earl Robert is gone so far forward 

That he has arrived in SuflFolk,^ [and] goes taxing the land ; 

As far. as Dunwich all moves by his command. 

Many a gentleman of Flanders goes this day foUowmg him : 

Whereat the king of England had afterwards a great joy. 

Earl Hugh Bigod ' has taken his messengers. 

And announces to those of Dunwich that he is their friend. 

That they should take part with the earl, and they should have play 
and amusement. 

Or that they would lose their heads who are still Uving ; 

And those have answered him that wrongly counsel would be taken 
about It, 
850 On the contrary they will sell themselves very dear to their enemies. 
Surely you have heard it in proverb : 

" He who commits treason to his lawful lord' 

Or any felony by which he suffer injury. 

To have bad recompense must not doubt ; 

And he who loyally serves him is much to be esteemed." 

So did the people of Dunwich, of whom you hear me speak. 

The earl of Leicester wished to besiege them. 

And swore his oath as he was accustomed. 

If the burghers and the peers did not surrender themselves to him, 
860 There should not escape a man without death or injury ; 

And these answer him with emulation : 

" Confounded be he who dreads you to the amount of a penny I 

Still living is the good lawful king. 

Who will very soon bring your war to an end. 

As long as we can live and stand on our feet. 

We will not surrender the town from fear of any assault." 

The earl of Leicester b^an to be angry. 

And erects the gallows to frighten them ; 

Then causes to arm in haste Serjeants and esquires, 
870 To assault the town vigorously be resolved to do what he could. 

That day you might have seen burghers, very valiant knights, 

Sally out to their fortifications ; each knows his business. 

Some to shoot with bows, others to cast darts ; 

The strong help the feeble often to repose. 

There was within the town neither maid or woman 

> " Ariyes en Sufolke," MS. DarhanL ''ErweUe, SufibW Ma Linooln Sm 
note to line 820. 
' Hne^ Bigod, earl of Norfolk. Dngd. Baron. L 182. 



264 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

Who did not cany a stone to the palisade to cast. 
So did the people of Dunwich defend themselves. 

As these verses speak which are here written ; « 

And so brave were the great and the little 
880 That earl Robert went away quite scorned. 

The earl of Leicester is of very great valour. 

Towards the people of Dunwich he found no love ; 

Neither assault nor vassal could be of any use to him. 

Nor seijeant nor esquire, whom those might fear. 

He and the earl set about returning, 

Till the morrow at dawn, when he saw the day appear. 
He called his constables, and said to them in hearing : 

" Cause your men to mount, delay will be wrong. 

I will go to Norwich, if God gives me power, 
890 To see their business, what is their countenance." 

And those do not delay to do the deed ; 

Soon might you see in haste displayed many a sleeve. 

Many a pennon of silk borne on fine lance. 

And many a good gentle vassal, many a man of great valour. 
If any wish to bear the truth how Norwich was taken, 

I was not in the country when it was besi^ed : 

A Lorrain traitor betrayed it, therefore it was surprised. 

None can guard himseu against treason in any guise. 

Except only king Henry, who punishes the cruel 
900 By the power of the Creator and the prayer of holy church ; 

He never made pretence to keep peace according to his power. 

And may God, who never lied, preserve him in his service ! 
Jordan Fantosme first wanted to give himself up. 

On all the reliques an oath to swear. 

There is no clerk in all the world, ever so clever in recording 

His lesson in his book, or in speaking of any art. 

Who could tell me or can mention 

A land which from hence to Montpellier 

Is worth that of Norfolk, of which you hear me speak, 
910 More honoured knights or more hospitable. 

Or merrier dames to give largely. 

Except the town of liondon, of which nobody knows its peer ; 

To the barons of the town none could be compared. 

Never in this war you heard speak of any. 

Let him be ever so rich in land, who dared besiege them. 

Or point towards them the finger even in thought. 

Who had not a sore recompense in lieu of his pay. 

Gentle king of England, just imagine 

How you ought to love London and the barons ; 
920 For never did they fail their lawful lord. 

But were always die first at his need. 

They had enough of messengers from Flanders beyond the sea. 

Who promised to give them great honours. 

Your own son, whom you should love much. 

Since by nature he has begun to be reconciled. 

Asked them by letters and by his messengers 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 265 

To help him to war against his father. 

On such condition as you will hear me name. 

That all the days of his life he would hold them so dear, 
930 Would love and cherish, and much would give them ; 

But they would not do it nor even consent to it 

To chase or exile you from your kingdom. 

Therefore you ought to love, honour and cherish them. 

And at their great need their loyalty recompense. 

Since for any promise they woiJd never swerve ; 

But to love you as they could was their pleasure. 

Gentle king of England, do my desire ; 

Love those who wish to serve you in loyalty. 

There should not to the young king come any harm 
940 (Since by natural a£Fection he has begun to repent) 

From bringing foreign people to injure his own 

Who after the days of his father are to support him. 

Before this century comes to an end. 

Many adventures may happen. 

Never had you such a war to sustain. 

But your son had a greater ; now let him think of nourishing his 
people. 
The earl of Leicester does not cease to waste 

The land of Norfolk, of which you hear me speak ; 

He could not in Normandy injure king Henry : 
950 Therefore he wanted to embroil England as much as he could. 

He has with him Flemings by hundreds and by thousands. 

Earl Hugh the Bigod wished to aid him altogether ; 

And the earl of Ferrieres,* a simple knight 

(He had better kiss and embrace a fair lady 

Than with a hammer of war strike a knight). 

Informs him by his letters he may go secure 

Throughout all England, he will have no disturbance there. 

The earl tells him those who wish to war : 

It is the king of Scotland whom he first named, 
960 And lord David his brother who is much to be prized. 

And lord Roger of Mowbray ' who was always a warrior. 

" He will come to succour you where you want it. 

All the land is on fire : think of moving. 

The old king of England will have need of his people ; 

He is in great difficulty, so we must praise God : 

Never in his life will he pass the sea. 

But will have lost Normandy by passing. 

If you could ride to Leicester, 

Before Easter came you might go 
^70 As far as the Tower of London, there would be no disturbance. 

The good city of York is lord Roger's, 

Throughout all Yorkshire he proclaims himself lord. 

There are within my country scarcely any knights. 

Whom I will not kill outright, if I have not their aid." 

— " Oh ! God !" thus said the earl, " how enraged I could be now I 

> Robert earl of Ferrers. Dugd. Baron. I 219. > Id. L 122. 



ft 

if 



266 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

I have been too long waiting to help my lord 

And to revenge myself on the old king his father and for my injuries. 

Shall I hear, lords knights, anv one of you speak? 

To do this business who will dare advise me V* 
980 — " Yes, sir/' quite boldly answered him his wife. 

*' Lord God forbid, who is lawful king. 

That you for Humphrey de Bohun should give up this journey. 

Either for the earl of Arundel ^ or for hb Uir speech I 

The English are great boasters, they do not know how to fight ; 

Better they know with large cups to drink and act the glutton. 

The earl of Gloucester' is much to be feared ; 

But he has your sister for wife and companion : 

For all the wealth of France he would not begin 

To commit any outrage from which you would have disturbance.*' 
990 — " Dame," so said die earl, " now I hear you speak ; 

Your counsel I must follow, for much I love you. 

— Sir Hugh del Chastel,' will you grant it? 

If you were at Leicester in darker. 

Of all the men of England you need not be afraid ; 

But might often cause them great trouble. 

And said Hugh del Chastel : " There is nothing to do but go. 

Soon you might hear shouting very loud 

Between Flemings from Flanders and French and Pohier : * 

" We have not come to this country to dwell, 
1000 But to destroy king Hemy the old warrior. 

And to have his wool, which we desire." 

Lords, that is the truth : the most were weavers. 

They did not know how to bear arms like knights. 
But for this they had come, to have gain and war ; 

For there is no place on earth more hospitable than Saint-Edmund's. 
Now Usten, lords barons, to God's great vengeance. 

Which he poured down on Flemings and on the people of France. 

The earl of Leicester was of great power ; 

But he was in heart too youthful and childish 
1010 When through England he wished to go pubUcly, 

Committing his robberies without having disturbance. 

And makes his wife take arms, carry shield and lance. 

His great folly will take hard birth. 

Saint-Edmund's had knights of very great power. 

It arms them in haste without any delay : 

It was Walter Fitz-Robert, of whom you hear speak. 

Who first encountered the Flemings and put them into a bad way. 

Indeed, the earl of Arundel (he never loved delay) 

Thither came with the train, whom saint Edmund prosper ! 
I02tf Sir Humphrey de Bohun caused them annoyance ; 

Soon you will see them come to blows, there is no other separation. 

> William de Albini, conoemixig whom see Dogd. Baron, i. 118. 

» Id. L 586. 

* This French nobleman is frequently mentioned by Hoveden, William of 
Kewboroug^ and Benedictus Abbas. 

*,;|9ee Da Gange, tmder the word <'Poheri." These were the inhabitants of 
a small principality called Poiz. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 267 

The earl of Leicester stopped short. 

And saw tCe armed people who came approaching them : 

" Sir Hugh del Chastel, now here come forward. 

And all your company, the little and the great. 

By my conscience ! we will not go farther. 

We will accept battle very hard and very heavy. 

Behold hauberks and helmets against the sun shining ; 

But now be knights, for God's sake I command you. 
1030 Woe to the body of the man who first runs away. 

That it may never be said in a proverb that we are recreants." 

The earl of Arundel is of great pride. 

And says to Humphrey de Bohun : " Now let us go and attack them 

In honour of God and saint Edmund, who is a true martyr." 

Answers Roger le Bigod : *' Quite at your pleasure ! 

I never in my life had so great a desire for an3^ing 

As to destroy the Flemings, whom I see coming here." 
It was Walter Fitz-Robert who spurred on the first. 

Now may the omnipotent King be his aid ! 
[040 And goes to attack the Flemings very furiously ; 

And they resist him, who fear him not. 

They were more than he by thousands and by hundreds. 

So they force him back with his people ; 

But he did not delay to seek vengeance : 

Woe to them that they saw England, all will be sorry for it. 

He encountered the earl, and said to him harshly : 

" You are the man of my lord, be not slow ; 

See his enemies going to his destruction. 

Spur on, sir earl, along with us.'' 
1050 And this he swore by God's lance, (that was his oath,) 

Woe to Robert that he brought from Flanders such people. 

Then you might see the earl who drew himself up proudly. 

And lord Roger le Bigod who undertakes great deeds. 

Nor did lord Hugh de Creissy * frdl them at all ; 

But before they could fall upon them at their pleasure, 

Humphrey de Bohun had retained more than a hundred. 
Certainly well does Robert Fitz-Bemard' perform. 

Of this foreign people he makes a wonderful clearance ; 

Neither can Flemings or Lombards assist themselves : 
1060 'The wool of England they gathered very late. 

Upon their bodies descend crows and buzzards. 

Who carry away the souls to the fire which ever burns. 

There the priest of Suart will say mass for them ; 

It would be better for them in Flanders to hang by a rope. 
The Flemings would have been very brave, if God were their aid; 

But they had not deserved it for their great robberies. 

The earl of Leicester saw their company to his misfortune. 

And lord Hugh del Chastel will not rejoice in it : 

They are in the midst of the crowd, feeble, without aid. 
1070 My lady the countess has entered the way, 

' Dngd. Baron. L 708. 

* Mentioned in Hored. Annal. ▲.D. 1172, foL 802, b. 



268 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

And met with a ditch where she was almost drowned. 
In the midst of the mud her rings she forgets ; 
Never will they be found in all her life. 

The wife of the earl wished to drown herself intentionally. 
When Simon de Vahull ' set about lifting her up : 
" Lady, come away with me, give up that idea ; 
Thus It fares in war, to lose or to gain." 
Then began earl Robert to be strongly a£Fected 
When he saw his wife taken, he had good reason to be angry, 
1080 And saw his companions slain by hundreds and by thousands : 
The colour began to change in his face. 

Lord Humphrey de Bohun and the earl of Arundel 
Have detained the earl and Hugh del Chastel, 
And lord Roger le Bigod was this day newly arrived ; 
To him and to Hugh de Creissy this deed seemed very tine. 
There was in the country neither villager nor clown 
Who did not go to destroy the Flemings with fork and flail. 
With nothing meddled the armed knights 

But only with knocking them down, and the villagers with killing them ; 
1090 By fifteens, by forties, by hundreds and by thousands 
By main force they make them tumble into the ditches. 
If God did a miracle there, it b not to be wondered at; 
For never in my life I heard speak of any man. 
However bold he might be in arms, however valiant a knight. 
If he wanted to war against king Henry, 
«And even those of £i]^^d desired to aid him. 
Who did not end by getting the worst of it. 

After earl Robert was taken and defeated. 
All England was somewhat more secure. 
1 100 All the Flemings of Flanders met with hard luck. 
None of the king's enemies feels secure of anything. 

Earl David of Scotland, whatever may be said of him. 
Was a most gentle warrior, so God bless me ; 
For never by him was robbed holy church or abbey, 
\nd none under his orders would have injured a priest. 
It was in May after April when the grass has grown green. 
That David came from Scotland with proud company, 
[Having] become his brother's man, in the presence of his baronage. 
On giving him all Lennox all the days of his life, 
1110 Besides the honour of Huntingdon; he has pledged his faith for it : 
That and much more he will give him, provided he assist him 
To make war on king Henry, the duke of Normandy. 

Now has David of Scotland to England come 
With hauberks and with helmets and with fine painted shields. 
Those of Leicester sent him greeting. 
And say how it has happened to their lord : 
Now let him come to defend them, and he will be well received ; 
By him and by his force will the castle be held. 
Certainly, to Bertram de Verdun * it will be very dearly sold ; 
1120 If it fall into their hands, he will be very angry. 

1 Dugd. Baron. I 504. * Id. i. 471. 



JORDAN PANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 269 

Now hear, lords, of the earl how he was taken : 
He bad in Huntingdon left some of his friends. 
He was in Leicester exceedingly powerful ; 
To those of Nottingham it will be worse every day. 

Those of Nortbsmipton were of great valour ; 
But lord David of Scotland put them to great difficulty : 
He could not have tribute from them for love. 
So he made a hostile expedition against the burghers one day. 
Certainly, whoever will listen, I will tell him the truth of it. 
1 130 Well did the earl and all his companions. 

Exceedingly well did the knights who came from the castle. 
Lord Bertram de Verdun was there this day newly arrived. 
He had fine arms and a horse very fleet. 
From many who jousted he the prize carried off; 
And lord David of Scotland did there his best. 
He carried off such a booty as seemed to him very fine. 

David in England warred very well ; 
But the war turned out badly to the king of Scotland : 
By his evil counsellors he undertook to do such a thing 
1 140 From which at the end came to him very great misfortune. 
David was very wise, and was also amiable. 
And protected holy Church, for never did he wish to wrong 
A priest or canon who knew grammar. 
Nor nun of abbey would he displease on any account. 

It was after Easter, I ought to remember well. 
That the king of Scotland began to return 
Towards Northumberland to waste and injure. 
Oh, God ! what great damage I saw befall them ! 
When the king of Scotland came to attack Wark, 
1150 On whatever side he wished to assault, 

Roger d'Estutevile had prepared himself there for it. 
Woe to Fantosme,' if you ever hear me lie ! 
And if I lie to you, you may well hear this. 
How Roger laboured to serve his lord. 

Hear of the king of Scotland how he warred. 
When he departed from Wark how he proposed : 
He prepared at night a great number of chevaliers. 
To die castle of Bamborough' immediately despatched them. 
I well knew the baron who conducted and led diem ; 
1 160 I will not speak of him, for much has he lost by it. 

This assembled host will do wonderful damage. 
Now would to Jesus the son of holy Mary 
That the poor people had been then warned of it. 
Who in their beds are sleeping and know nothing of it ! 
It was still morning when the dawn cleared up. 
When these chevaliers armed themselves, the fierce company ; 
The town of Belford ' was first attacked. 

' Above this word a contemporary hand has written '^anctor libri" in the 
Lincoln manuacript. 

' The castle of Bamborough, situated on the sea-coast of Northumberiand. 
' A small town in the norUi of the county last mentioned. 



270 CHURCH HIOTOSIANS OF ENGLAND. 

Over all the country they scattered themselves : 

Some run to towns to commit their folly, 
1 170 Some go to take sheep in their folds. 

Some go to bum the towns, I cannot tell you more : 
** Never will such great destruction be heard spoken of. 

Then might you see peasants and Flemings who tie them. 

And lead them in their cords like heathen people. 

Women fly to the minster, each was ravished 

Naked widiout clothes, she forgets there her property. 
Ah, God I whv did William de Vesd not know it, 

Roger d'Estutevile, the others also ? 

The booty would have been rescued, nor would they have failed in it; 
11 80 But they knew it not, certainly it grieves me. 

They burnt the country ; but Grod was a friend 

To ihose gentle peasants who were defenceless. 

For the Scots were not their mortal enemies : 

Thev would have beaten, slain and ill-treated them all. 
Very great was the booty which the royalists carry away. 

They came to Berwick on Tyne ^ to their lodgings. 

They have joy enough for that and much amusement ; 

For they are rich in cattle, oxen and horses 

And in fine cows, sheep and lambs, 
1 190 In clothes and money, in bracelets and rings. 

Then sent the king of Scotland for his Imights, 

The earb of his land, all the best warriors ; 

To Wark he wished to lay si^ by his good counsellors. 

He wished to have the castle by Flemings and archers. 

By good stone-bows, by his engines very strong 

And by his slingers and his cross-bow-men. 

Will you hear of Roger how he behaved himself ? 

He was not the least d^mayed when this host came to him : 

He had in his train knights more than twenty, 
1200 Certainly, the best Serjeants that ever baron retained. 

The host was marvellous, of great chivalry. 

Of Flemings and Border-men fierce was the company. 

Roger d'Estutevile has garrisoned his house. 

He does not fear their siege the value of a dove of garlick : 

He has a very gentle baronage to whom he trusts much. 

And to exhort them well he did not forget. 

By a Monday morning were equipped 

Those who sha^ assault the castle, Flemings they were named. 

Then you might see bucklers seized and shields buckled on. 
1210 The port-cullis assaulted, as you may soon hear. 

By wonderfid daring they came to the ditches ; 

Those who were inside did not forget themselves ; 

They soon struck each other and were so mingled together 

That I never saw a better defence in these two kingdoms. 

The Flemings were daring and very courageous. 

And the other much enraged in their fortress. 

Soon you might see Serjeants and Flemings so mingled, 

* A repetition of the xniBtake already notioed at line 428. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 271 

Shields and bucklers broken, pennons displayed, 

Flemings turning back from the port-cuUises, wounded ; 
220 Some were carried from the port-cuUises by others ; 

Never will they cry Arras I [until] dead they are and buried. 
Long lasted this assault ; out little succeeded : 

Certainly king William did not cease to lose. 

Roger d'Estutevile exhorted his men. 

By very gentle words he addressed and harangued them : 

" Gende barons companions, by God who formed you ! 

Do not speak basely, and we will not do so ; 

If they assault us, God will defend us. 

They do wrong to king Henry, for he has done no harm. 
230 " Shoot not your arrows forth but on great occasions ; 

We know not their intentions and nothing of their thoughts. 

They have wide ways and roads and paths. 

Wine and beer, drink, food. 

And are rich in arms and in fleet steeds ; 

And we are here within, Serjeants and soldiers ; 

If we have victuals, let us keep them willingly* 

Spare vour arms, I say that to you, archers ; 

But when you see need and great complete assaults. 

Then defend your heads like gentle chevaliers.'' 
240 Roger d'Estutevile exhorted thus the people. 

And die king of Scotland was greatly enraged. 

When he saw his Serjeants die and often faU 

And saw that he was not gaining ground, he was grieved in heart ; 

And said to his chevaliers in his great irritation: 
" Make your stone-bow come hastily ; 

It will soon break the gate, if the engineer lies not ; 

And we shall take the outer fortification without any delay." 
Hear, lords, of the stone-bow how it went on : 

The first stone which it ever cast at them, 
250 The stone was scarcely parted from the sling 

When it knocked one of their knights to the ground. 

W^e it not for his armour and the shield which he had. 

To none of his lineage had he ever returned ; 

Much must he hate the engineer who contrived that for them. 

And the king of Scotland who lost more by it 
Then said king William a marvellous joKe : 

" Certainly this deed seems to me very costly 

Rage possesses my heart and wrath so hideous, » 

I had rather be taken quite alive before Toulouse." 
260 It is no marvel if he has heaviness in his heart : 

Woe that he saw Flemings of Flanders and then the king of 
France ; 

He knows well the truth at last and without mistake : 

That he has lost king Henry without any remedy. 

And cannot injure him by buckler or lance 

Nor by engine of war, from which he may have much harm. 

When the stone-bow failed him, he ordered up the other : 

He fain' would bum the castle, he knows not what to do better ; 



272 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

But Jesus the glorious, the Creator of all things. 

Turned against the king of Scotland the wind very contrary, 
1270 And to Roger the baron it began much to please. 

Now he has such great gladness, in his life he never had more. 
Then said king William : " Let us raise this siege ; 

I see my people destroyed and the mischief which cuts us off. 

Certainly, this afiiadr grieves me strongly at heart. 

Roger d'Estutevile has found us out." 

The king of Scotland made his host watch in the night. 

Until the following day at dawn when daylight appeared clear. 

When he assembled aU his earls and barons : 

" Gentle barons, knights, now hear me speak : 
1280 Let us raise this siege, we can make nothing of it ; 

But we have great loss by it : think of restoring it. 

Kindle the fire, bum these huts. 

Collect and fold your tents and pavilions. 

And cause all my host to go Roxburgh*" 

Then you might see these merchants coming and going, 

Unpitching the pavilions, and unfolding the tents. 

Through this host of Scotland making great noise : 

Of his great discomfiture he might well remember. 

King William departed, who wished to go. 
1290 Now they set the huts on fire and bum them. 

Very great was the noise, that is not to be concealed from you. 

Which in this host servants and esquires make. 

Roger d'Estutevile was no coward. 

Nor fearful in war, nor a base knight ; 

Never of a wiser man did you hear speak. 

Nor of more steady nor of more gentle warrior. 

When he saw this assembled host going towards Roxburgh, 

To his gende baronage he b^n to speak : 

" Say nothing wrong ; for God's sake ! let it be. 
1300 Neither cry at nor hoot these people of Scotland ; 

But God our Father we must all praise : 

When he from the king of Scotland and from his host so wild 

Has preserved us our lives, we ought to thank Him. 
" To play or to amuse yourselves I forbid not ; 

And when you see the king and his assembled host depart. 

Then shout your joy each for himself ; 

I shall do the same, so that it shall be heard. 

The son injures the father, who opposes him so." 

Then might you hear the cornets sounding by ranks : 
1310 There were no reproaches, nor taunting words said ; 

But songs and choruses and friendly salutations ; 

Of horns and tmmpets very fine was the accord. 
Roger d'Estutevile is glad at heart. 

Well ought he to be so, do not wonder at it ; 

For the king of Scotland has left him his own : 

He has, thank God, neither lost nor won. 

And has none of his followers slain or injured. 

Knight or serjeant in the body wounded 



JORDAN PANTOSMB'8 CHRONICLE. 273 

For whom he should have to give a coined denier 
)20 To a physician of Salerno to be treated for it. 

Lords, in such disgraceful manner departed king William 

From Walk, and for that si^ he will still have blame. 

He has such great wrath in his heart that he almost faints from it. 

Then has sworn an oath» saint Andrew and saint James, 

He will not give up the war though he were to lose his kingdom. 
Behold Robert de Mowbray, who well knew war ; 

To his two eldest sons had left his land. 

His castles, his domains, and they knew what to do. 

He came to the king of Scotland to beg and to request 
330 That he would fight quite securely, for that it was the truth 

That there was not on earth any one who could oppose him. 

Now has the king such joy, never in his life had he more ; 

Never would he draw back from doing wrong. 

In the night was the counsel taken how they should act : 

To royal CarUsle in the morning they shaU go. 

No one disputes it ; but now they shall b^in. 

They will never cease to look for their injury. 

Now is Roger de Mowbray with the lung of Albany 

To make war according to his power, with strength and- in aid, 
340 So is lord Adam de Porz' with great chivalry ; 

They were the best warriors known to be in existence. 

They had been once so ; but they little know 

That God will not long consent to their folly. 

Away goes king William with his great gathered host 

Towards Carlisle the fair, the strong garrisoned city. 

Lord Roger de Mowbray and his chivalry 

And lord Adam de Porz joins himself to his Border-men. 

The earls of Scotland lead the hated people. 

Who never had any repugnance to do fiendish things. 
350 They make such progress, I know not what more to tell you. 

That they could see Carlisle full of beauty; 

The sun illuminates the walls and turrets. 

He who has a merry banner, ^adly displays it ; 

And the trumpets sound in every rank : 

You might hear noise in the shuddering city ; 

But lord Robert de Vaus gently begs them 

Not to be dismayed nor act cowardly; 

For, if God keeps his life safe and sound. 

He fears not at all this host nor the king of Albany. • 
360 The king summons Roger and Adam to council, 

Walter de Berkeley,' who was one of his retainers : 

" Now behold, noble knights, much gentle preparation ; 

You cannot count the white nor the red. 

So many are the banners dancing in the sun ! 

" Go to Robert, say that I send him this message : — 

Surrender me the castle this very moment : 

He will have no succour from any living man. 

And the king of England will never more be his defender ; 

I See Dogd. Baron. L 463. > See Chalmen' CUedoiiia» i 638. 

VOL. IV. T 



274 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

And if he will not do so, swear well to him 
1370 He shall lose his head for it and his children shall die. 

I will not leave him a single friend or relation 

Whom I will not exile, if he does not execute my command." 

Now go the barons demanding the truce. 

They go to Robert de Vans where he was ; 

He was dressed in a hauberk, leaning on a battlement. 

And held in his hand a keen sword 

With a sharp edge, he handled it gently ; 

And saw the messenger who called him. 

From him and his men asking the truce. 
1380 And he answered him : " Friend, what is it you want? 

You might soon leave there the little and the great." 

And said the messenger : " That is not courteous : 

A messenger carrying his message should not be 

Insulted or ill-treated ; he may say what he likes." 

And said Robert de Vans : " Now come nearer. 

Say your pleasure ; be afraid of nothing." 

Lords, in such way as this did the messenger speak 

To Robert, who is the chief, and to all the baronage : 

" Sir Robert de Vans, you are vauant and wise. 
1390 I am the king's messenger, he is my protector ; 

He sends you by me salutation and friendship. 

Restore him the castle which is his inheritance : 

His ancestors had it already long in peacefulness ; 

But the king of England has disinherited him of it 

Wrongly and sinfully, thus he sends you a message by me. 

And, if you please, you know that this is the truth. 

You were not a child nor of childish age 

That you and all the kingdom did not see that. 

Now show him love before his baronage : 
1400 Surrender him the castle and all the fortress. 

And he will give you so much coined money 

Never Hubert de Vans * had so much collected. 
" Surrender him the castle on such terms. 

And become his man on such conditions : 

He will give you so much property in fine gold and money. 

And much more than we tell you. 

" If you do not consent to it to disinherit him. 

You must not in any place trust to his person : 

He will besiege the castle with his people, 
1410 You will not go out of it any day without injury to you ; 

And if he can gain the castle by force. 

The king of England will be of no avail to you. 

Nor all the gold of his kingdom which he could collect. 

To prevent you from being drawn on a hurdle and adjudged to 
a bad death." 
When lord Robert heard this, he was very calm : 

" We do not care about quarrels or threats. 

[We are here within good steady people :] ' 
> See Dagd. Baron, i. 525. * This line does not occur in the Lincoln MS. 



JORDAN FANT08ME5 CHRONICLE. 275 

May he be disgraced who will surrender himself as long as victuals 

last! 
Tell me, messenger, may God give you honour ! 
120 Go to the king of Scotland, who is your lord ; 
Say that I inform him I take from him no estate 
Nor fees nor inheritance, nor will I ever do so ; 
But let him go to king Henry, let him make his complaint 
That I hold Sie castle and tower of Carlisle 
By force against him as a true warrior ; 
And if my sire the king be angry with me for it. 
Let him send me his messenger, but no traitor. 
Who may tell me from him : ' Give up this honour 
Willingly and cheerfully ; there must be no giving it back 
430 " And if he will not do so, let us make a covenant : 
Give me such a respite that I may pass the sea. 
And I shall tell my lord, Henry the valiant king. 
To give him back his honour as far as he is requiring. 
The castle of Carlisle and all belonging to it. 
Then he is sure of it, if I have the command for it. 
Certainly ; or, if not, were I to die here before. 
The castle of my lord I will not surrender to him." 
When the king's messenger the answer had heard. 

He said to his companions : " I never saw such thing. 
440 If the king my lord have no pity on him, 

I value little all the baronage he has collected here." 

And he said to Robert de Vans : " We will go hence ; 

Woe to you that you saw Carlisle as well as king Henry." 
Then the messengers departed thence, 

And tell their lord all they had heard : 

" Sire, king of Scotland, now hear the message. 

Robert informs you through me that he fears you not ; 

He will not surrender the castle for gold or for silver, 

And for Scotland besides, if he had a present of it, 
450 And had rather die before all his people. 

There is within the castle enough of wine and com. 

And there is unanimity between him and his people 

I must say all that belongs to a messenger. 

He does not wish to take from you any thing which is yours ; 

But, if he saw his lord to whom the honour belongs. 

And he ordered him to leave it by his command. 

And only said to him with his own mouth, 

' Surrender to king William,' he would do it very readily ; 

And he will inform him soon and quickly." 
460 And said king William : " This is a joke of his." 

The king had counsellors, he knew all their business ; 

He did not this time any harm to Robert, 

But went to Appleby :^ there he directed his march. 

There were no people in it :'. therefore he took it speedily. 
The king had very soon the castle of Appleby ; 

There were no people in it, but it was quite unguarded. 

* A town in Westmoreland. 
T 2 



276 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP EN6IAND. 

Gospatric ^ the son of Horm, an old grey-headed Ei^lishman^ 
Was the constable ; he soon cried mercy. 
The king had then forgot his sorrow 

1470 When he had the castle and the tower of Appleby ; 
And goes threatening much the king our lord, 
Henry the son of Matilda, to whom God give honour ! 
To vanquish all those may He give him strength and vigour 
Who are against him to deprive him of his possessions ! 
King WiUiam of Scotland has already taken Appleby, 
And Roger de Mowbray who was his friend ; 
And they place within it their Serjeants as warders of the marches* 
And have appointed three constables in the castle ; 
They have great joy and laughter enough among themselves : 

1480 They think never to lose them till the day of judgment. 
They wish to go to Burc ;' the resolution was soon taken. 
If it is not surrendered to them, not a single Uving being shall go 

out of it ; 
But the castle was not so unprovided. 
That there were not within it more than six knights. 
The castle was very soon attacked on all sides ; 
And the Flemings and the Border-men make a violent assault 

upon them. 
And have the first day taken from them the outer fortification. 
And soon they left it and placed themselves in the tower. 
Now are they in this tower, they will hold out a short time ; 

1490 For they set fire to it, they will bum them who are inside it. 
[They do not know any plan nor what they can do ; 
Already the fire is lighted : now they will be burnt here.] ' 
" By mv faith I fair sire, if you please, they will not do so ; 
But will behave like knights : they will stick to the king. 
For they see very well they will have no succour." 
They cannot hold out longer, they have surrendered to the king. 
That is well done which tliey do now. 

They have surrendered to the king, they have great sorrow in their 
hearts. 
But a new knight had come to them that day. 

1500 Now hear of his deeds and his great exploits : 
When his companions had all surrendered. 
He remained in the tower and seized two shields, 
He hung them on the battlements, he stayed there long. 
And threw at the Scots three sharp javelins ; 
With each of the javelins he has struck a man dead. 
When those failed him, he takes up sharp stakes 
And hurled them at the Scots, and confused some of them. 
And ever keeps shouting : " You shall all be soon vanquished." 
Never by a single vassal was strife better maintained. 

1510 When the fire deprived him of the defence of the shields. 
He is not to blame if he then surrendered. 

' See Nicolflon and Bum's Hiat of Westmoreland and Cumberland, L 465. 

' Brough under Stanemore, in Westmoreland. 

' These two lines are supplied from the Lincoln MS. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 277 

Now is Burc overthrown and the best of the tower. 
[Now is Robert de Vans in some alarm ;] ' 
He sends his messenger the same day 
To Richard de Luci, who tells him the truth 
That Appleby has been taken in the morning. 
And the castle of Brought which is not much worse. 
" I have now from no part either aid or succour. 
And I think well that the king will give me hard treatment." 
20 And Richard de Luci says : " Now let him do the best. 
Let him beware of becoming a deceiver for any thing ; 
But if he loves Henry his good lord. 
For him must he endure trouble and grief. 
I send him for my part greeting and love ; 
And news of the king, before fifteen days elapse. 
He will have in England, if it pleases Grod the Saviour." 
When Robert heard that, the colour came to his face ; 
He who before was dejected, now is in joy. 

Of Richard de Luci now hear the truth : 
30 By the good sense which he has and his great loyalty. 
His lord beyond the sea by hb letters he has called ; 
The Bishop of Winchester,' as it was arranged. 
He himself went there through very great friendship. 
And said to king Henry : " May God save you ! 
England salutes you as its defender. 
Lord Richard de Luci and all the other baronage 
Who adhere to you ; but hear the truth : 
They are not ten, so may Lord God help me, 
--. Who adhere to you in right loyalty." 

Then asks the king : " What then does Richard 
De Luci the loyal ? Is he on my side ?" 

— " Yes, sire, indeed, he does not do things by halves ; 
But would rather let himself be tied to a post with a rope." 

— " And the earl of Arundel, how does he behave ? 
Does he side with me ? does he war against us ?" 

— •• Sire; by my faith ! but he is your well-wisher 
In all your need, in the foremost rank." 

— " And Humphrey de Bohun, how has he behaved ? 
Against my enemies has he fought ? " 

50 — " Sire, by my faith I I wish to be believed in it : 
He is one of the most loyal who has adhered to you." 

— " Near York how behaved the barons ? 

And those of Estutevile, do they keep their houses ?" 

— " Certainly, sire, if you please, we know it very well. 
From those of Estutevile no treasons have come." 

— " And the elected bishop of Lincoln,* how is he in the country ? 
Can he not fight against his enemies ? " 

— "He is, sire, truly your cordial friend ; 

He has enough of chevaliers and good border-serjeants." 

* This line occurs only in the Lincoln MS. 

* This was Richard, sumamed Toclive, or of Ilchester. 

' QeoSrej, the natural son of Henry II. and Rosamond Clifford. 



278 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

— " Thomas the son of Beraard and his brother also, 
1660 Are they very often with Richard de Luci?" 

— " Certainly, sire, if you please, they are very friendly to you. 
And Roger le Bigod, who never failed." 

— " Now tell me the truth of my land of the north : 
Roger d'Estutevile, has he made any agreement?" 

— • " A thousand men would die there, sire, of bad death 
Ere Roger d'Estutevile injure you either right or wrong." 

— " Ralph de Glanvile,' is he at Richmond,' 

And lord Robert de Vaus ? what are these two barons about ? " 
1570 Then drew the messenger a profound sigh ; 

And the king said to him : " Wherefore are these sighs ? 

Has then Robert de Vaus committed treason ? 

Has he surrendered Carlisle ? say nothing but truth." 

— " But he keeps it nobly like a gentle baron. 
Of his great trouble it is right we should tell you. 

The king of Scotland came the other day by Carlisle prancing 
And harshly threatening lord Robert de Vaus ; 
He asked him for the castle, with this covenant. 
That he would give him enough wherewith he should be rich ; 
1580 And if he did not do so thenceforth. 

He would make them all die of starvation, the little and the great." 

— " By my faith," so said the king, " here is a good covenant. 
In little time God works, so says the b^gar. 

What then did the Scot do ? did he beside Carlisle ? " 

— " By no means, sire, if you please, but he did & more daring thing ; 
For he has taken Appleby, for which I very much lament. 

And the castle of Brough, I must well acquaint you." 

— " How, my good fellow!" said the king, "is then Appleby taken?" 

— " Yes, sire, indeed, and all the country : 
1590 That has greatly encouraged your mortal enemies. 

Some held by you, who have joined them. 

Sire, for Robert de Vaus I have been here sent : 

Neither wine nor wheat can reach him any longer. 

Nor from the side of Richmond will he be assisted more ; 

If he has not speedy succour, all will be starved. 

Then will Northumberland be completely devastated, 

Odinel de Humfranvile at length disinherited ; 

Newcastle-on-Tyne will be destroyed, 

William de Vesci, his lands and his fees : 
1600 The Scots overrun it all like heathen." 

— " By God ! " so said the king, " it would be a great pity." 
Then his eyes shed tears, he sighed deeply : 

— " Eh, my good fellow ! what does the bishop of Durham ? " 

— " He is all one with king William." 

— " Saint Thomas," said the king, " preserve me my kingdom ; 
I confess myself guilty to you for what others have the blame. 

— Fair sir," said the king, " tell me truth. 
How do my barons of London my city ? " 

1 A memoir of this celebrated baron of the Exchequer may be seen in Dugd. 
Baron. L 426. ' A market town in Torkahire. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 279 

— " So may the Lord God help me who remains in Trinity, 
510 They are the most loyal people of all your kingdom. 

There is none in the town who is of such an age 

As to bear arms, who is not very well armed ; 

You would be wrong to think now anything bad of them. 

But, sire, now be acquadnted with one thing : 

Gilbert of Munfichet ^ has fortified his castle. 

And says that the men of Clare are allied to him." 

— " O God !" so said the king, " now take pity on it. 
Preserve my barons of London my city. 

— " Go, lord bishop, into your country. 
)20 If God rive me health and I may be living. 

You will have me at London before fifteen days come. 

And I will take vengeance on all my enemies." 

He sends for his people, his good worthy seijeants 

And earb and barons, — there is not one left out ; 

He entrusted Rouen to them, for they are his friends. 

The bishop comes back, as I told you just now ; 

And Richard de Luci, who never was at a loss. 

Has gladly asked news of the king : 

" Sir," says the bishop, " he is a worthy king : 
►30 He fears not the Flemings the value of a clove of garlick ; 

Nor does he, by my faith ! the king of Saint-Denis. 

He thinks he shall conquer his enemies so 

That you will * see him arrive in fifteen days from this." 
Now is Richard de Luci in a great joy ; 

He informs Robert de Vaus he would be wrong to be afraid : 

He will have succour from the good king his lord 

Like loyal knight who has kept his honour. 

When Robert heard that above there in that tower. 

He never was more delighted at any time. 
40 The king of Scotland came there in the very same day. 

And asked for CarUsle, city and tower ; 

Or he will have it by force, there will be no retractation. 

And Robert de Vaus said : " For God the Creator ! 

Appoint me a term, and name me a day : 

If succour does not come to me from the king my lord, 

I will surrender you the castle, and you shall be the commander !" 

And king WiUiam said : " I have no fear of it ; 

You will have no succour, I know well the truth of it." 
Now goes king William straight to Odinel, 
50 He wanted to surprise him to get the castle ; 

But the castle was well provided afresh : 

Now Odinel will be besieged within there. 

For the king of Scotland sends him a challenge. 
Odinel had good people established in the castle : 

So he makes defence, never did I see better. 

He himself without companions sallied out by force. 

1 Dugd. Baron. L 4S8. 

* In MS. Line, the reading is, " You will see him at London in fifteen days 
from thi^** 



280 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

His people did not wish that he should be there disgraced ; 
For they knew very well the king was very bold. 
Towards their lord he had a heart swelling and angry ; 
1660 And if he could take the castle by [hisl gathered host. 
He would never have mercy on Odmel in his court. 
Odinel departed very sorry from his people. 
And they remained within like bold knights. 

Great was the host of Scotland, the noise and the cry. 
With Flemings and Border-men the castle was assaulted ; 
And those within defended themselves with strength and valour. 
For so many wounded outside were knocked down. 
They will never see the relations which they had. 
And Odinel goes off on hb hairy bay horse 
1670 To ask for succour that he might be relieved. 

Then Odinel rode so much on the good brown bay. 
Day and night always spuiring. 
That he gadiered good valiant people. 
Four hundred knights with their shining helmets. 
They will be in the battle fighting with him, 
Thev will succour Prudhoe with their trenchant swords. 

Tnree days lasted the siege, to my knowledge : 
Odinel had many good men there within. 
Against the Flemings they defend themselves bravely. 
1680 They did not lose within, I assure you I teU no lie. 
As much as amounted to a silver penny ; 
But they lost their fields with all their com. 
And their gardens were ravaged by those bad people ; 
And he who could not do more injury, took it into his head 
To bark the apple-trees : it was ban vengeance. 

When king William saw that he could not succeed. 
Nor take the castle by arrows nor by spears. 
He spoke in private to his good counsellor : 

" Let us go to Alnwick, let us leave this one alone. 
1690 You will not see with your eyes this first month elapse. 
Before Odinel will hold it to his great trouble. 
Never will we go from it until we have first had it. 
Let us allow our Scots to waste the sea-coast — 
Woe to them if they leave standing a house or a church ; 
And we will allow the Galloway-men to go in another direction. 
To kill the men in Odinel's land : 
We will go to Alnwick to besiege the castle. 
And both our hosts shall come to help our Frenchmen ; 
But they will have first made so great a disturbance, 
1700 That this country will be destroyed. Now let us think of hast- 
ening." 

It was on Thursday evening that the king spoke. 
And Frenchmen and Flemings agreed to his words. 
Friday in the morning his trumpet was sounded : 
This great host departed and his fierce baronage. 
And come to Alnwick ; they did not delay longer ; 
But the Scots burnt and wasted the country. 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 281 

The church of Saint-Laurence * was that day violated. 

Three priests in the church were by force castrated. 

And three hundred men murdered, without a word of falsehood ; 
710 Never will they see a relation or any of their kindred. 

And Odinel de Umfranvile has so well managed. 

Such succour has gained, so help me Lord God, 

That the king of Scotland will be enraged at heart ; 

No relation that he had was ever so disgraced. 

The king was at Alnwick with his great gathered host ; 

And Odinel rides with the fierce company, 

William * d'Estutevile who helps him very much. 

And Ralph de Glanvile is not backward. 

Lord Bernard de Baliol * with his furbished sword 
720 Will lay hard upon the people of Albany, 

And William de Vesci do not forget there. 

The archbishop of York * gave them lodgings. 

And sixty knights of his chivahry. 

To Newcastle-on-Tyne, when the night b advanced. 

Is come Odinel, who conducts and guides them : 

That is the truth, whatever anybody may say about it. 

There they heard news of this king of Albany, 

That he was at Alnwick with a small suit. 

With the Flemings and Frenchmen the Scots were not, 
730 But bum the country each of them at his best. 

If it pleased you to hear a good deed done by good people, 

I will tell you of this, of my own knowledge. 

They have consulted together what they should do and how. 

If they should go and attack this king and his people. 

Thus answers Odinel : " Shame to him that forbids it I 

I will strike there, please God, all at first : 

He has done me a very great harm, and my heart is grieved at it ; 

And if God allowed us to take vengeance. 

We shall make a good job of it, by my knowledge. 
740 Let us go and attack them ; and, if he waits for us. 

He will be discomfited, and his host likewise." 

Said Bernard de Baliol : " He who has no courage now 

Can have no honour nor anything which appertains to it." 

Said Ralph de Glanvile : " Let us act prudently : 

Let us send a spy to reckon their forces ; 

And we will come afterwards, if God allows us. 

Since the Scots are not there, we do not care the least about them," 

Odinel sends for all his best troops, 

Roger the son of Richard has also sent for his. 
fSO Now have the barons each assumed courage. 

And go tp Alnwick by night closely. 

And then in the morning, when the day dawned. 

The king of Scotland had his head well armed 

> ThlB is the church of Warkworth. See line 1908. 

' Aooording to Dugdale (Baron. L 455), the name of the baron who captored 
William was Robert, and not William. 
' See the authority last dtod, L 523. 
* Archbishop Roger, consecrated a.d. 1154, died 1181. 



282 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

And five hundred knights in a band. 

Who all keep saying to him :. " Beware of trust to cowardice. 

Yours is Northumberland, whether they weep or laugh." 
And said the king of Scotland : " We will wait for our host. 

And then with great vigour we shall assault the castle. 

Because of the heat, which is great, lords, let us dine." 
1760 And he uncovers his head, very well we know it : 

We who compose this history do not wish to lie. 
Before the castle the king had stopped ; 

His servants bring him what he has dined upon. 

And our knights went into a copse ; 

There they have their spy who told them all. 

Says Ralph de Glanvile : " Thank the Lord God ! 

Now take your arms, beware of being fearful." 

Then might you see knights quickly stirring. 

Mounting on their horses and their arms seizing ; 
1 770 There will be no impediment to keep them from attacking them : 

That which one of them wishes, pleases the other. 
The king of Scotland was brave, wonderful and bold. 

Before Alnwick he stood unarmed. 

I do not relate a fable as one who has heard say. 

But as one who was there, and I myself saw it. 

When these had once cried the war-signal of Vesci 

And " Glanvile, kniehts !" and " Baliol 1" likewise, 

Odinel de Humfrevme raised a cry of his own. 

And another that of Estutevile, a bold knight. 
1 780 Then knew king William that he was nearly betrayed ; 

Quickly he stirred himself, he was not disconcerted. 
The king arms himself soon and hastUy, 

And mounted on a horse which was not slow. 

And goes to the fight with very great boldness. 

The first whom he struck, he knocks to the ground. 

The fight was very great of the king and his troops. 

Every thing would have gone on well, to my knowledge. 

Were it not for a serjeant who rushes up to him ; 

With the lance which he held, he pierces his horse. 
1 790 You must not ask if the king was sorrowful : 

The sin of the Scots is an encumbrance to him. 

The king falls to the ground, and the grey horse. 
The king and his horse are both on the ground. 

He could not get up, the horse lay upon him : 

Now he has enough of labour and trouble and vexations. 

When servants and esquires pass by him ; 

He will hear news, to my knowledge, to-day ; 

He cannot much help himself nor others. 

Great was the battle and stubborn on both sides ; 
1800 You might see darts enough thrown and arrows shot. 

The bold fighting and the cowardly fiying. 

Of the unfortunate Flemings great carnage was made, 

[You might see] their bowels dragged from the bodies through the 
fields. 



JORDAN FANTOSME'S CHRONICLE. 283 

Never again in their country will they cry. Arras ! 

The king lay on the ground thrown down, as I tell you ; 

Between his legs lay the horse upon him ; 

Never again will he rise from it for relation or friend. 

If the horse is not drawn from him, with which he is encumbered ; 

He will always be humbled and disgraced. 
10 He was soon taken, with my two eyes I saw it. 

By Ralph de Glanvile, to whom he then surrendered ; 

And all his boldest knights are taken. 

There was no favour : all were enemies. 

Our knights on this side, never did I see better. 

Love not the Flemings, who had then betrayed them ; 

But they keep killing them. I know not what more to say to you. 
The king surrenders himself prisoner to Ralph, truly ; 

He could not do otherwise, what else could he do ? 

And Ralph was glad, when he sees and hears 
20 That the war of the king is really finished. 

England is at peace, and the good people 

Will no longer dread the Scots : they will not injure them at all. 
Ralph de Glanvile has the king in custody, 

[And he surrendered to him, and he grants it readily ; 

He was not so delighted in any day of his life.]^ 

He takes off his armour, and forgets nothing. 

On a palfrey mounted this king of Albany ; 

So they led him gently, whatever may be said to you. 

At Newcastle-on-Tyne they take lodgings, 
30 And the others remained for their knights-service 

And take those knights towards Albany. 

Now the battle on both sides was well fought. 
Certainly, our royal knights behave very well. 

And those of Albany were very good vassals ; 

But when they had lost what diey regarded most. 

Their natural lord, who was brought by them. 

These are not all loyal to their king. 

And they are knocked to the ground from their horses ; 

In the midst of the battle they will be taken one and all. 
40 It is no wonder if the gay and the cheerful are sorrowful. 
Lord Roger de Mowbray went away flying ; 

He behaved courteously, what should he wait for ? 

All are his enemies, who are there fighting ; 

And if they can take him, there will be no safeguard 

From the king of England executing his pleasure on him. 

And lord Adam de Porz, a very valiant baron. 

Went away with him. Now they go spurring on. 

It was well for them, God is a great guard to them. 

For they were not caught by any man alive. 
50 Certainly, if Adam de Porz had not been so far advanced. 

He would have lost that day the little and the great ; 

But God did not consent to it, who is a powerful King : 

It would have been too great damage, for he is very vsJiant. 

^ These two lines occur only in the Idncoln US. 



284 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

Now I will tell you who were fighting well 

Before Alnwick, the castle of which I sing : 

Lord Alan de Lanceles, as long as he was standing. 

Defended himself on the grey war-horse. 

He was very old, a verv great knight. 

He had not jousted full thirty years before ; 
1860 But was a good knight and of great knowledge. 

If the king had known it, his word would have been welcome 

Lord Alan was then taken and kept ; 

Now he must give ransom, for his property is great. 
William de Mortimer * behaved very well that day 

He goes among the ranks like a mad boar. 

Gives great blows and often takes his share of them ; 

He found opposed to him a true knight. 

Lord Bernard de Baliol, of whom you hear me speak ; 

He knocked down him and his charger, 
1870 He put him on parole, as is done for a knight 

Lord Bernard does well, he is not to be blamed ; 

At the end of the battle he will be praised 

Who strikes best with sword and best fights. 

Raoul le Rus behaved well, but could not hold long : 

More than one hundred attacked him, so as to impede him com- 
pletely. 

If then he surrendered, it is no wonder ; 

Unhappy man to have seen this war : he will pay very dear for it. 
Certainly Richard Maluvel behaved himself gloriously. 

He gave enough of great blows, and he takes enough, 
1880 As long as he was on horseback he feared nothing ; 

He had a very good horse, good are his equipments. 

And himself bold and brave, so:! say without any falsehood. 

He did on that day, to my knowledge. 

As much as thirteen followers then present with him ; 

But he loses the war-horse : for which he is very sorry. 

It is struck through, and falls immediately : 

It is a great pity, for he will be very sorry for it. 

And over lonl Richard stood many people ; 

There was none that did not say : " Surrender directly." 
1890 He therefore surrendered himself with very great unwillingness ; 

Woe to him that he saw king William and his wild rashness. 

I cannot tell you, it would be too long. 

All those who were taken and led away with sorrow ; 

But I will count to you nearly a hundred. 

Whom William de Vesci ransomed quite at his pleasure. 

And Bernard de Baliol and the other good people, 

Walter de Bolebec,* Odinel likewise. 

Had prisoners at their departure. 

Lords, do not marvel if they are discomfited : 
1900 The Scots have this day more than a thousand badly wounded. 

And death has parted the sons from their fathers. 

' He was one of the hostages for the king of Scotland at the treaty of Falaitfe. 
' See Dugd. Baron, i. 452. The Lincoln MS. incorrectly reads *' Holebea** 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 285 

One might see the grief, the tears and the cries 

Which these wretches make in the monastery of Saint-Laurence;* 

Some have their bodies and breasts cut open. 

The shorn priests were not spared there : 

There is no occasion to ask if God is provoked at it 

And if He detested king William for it ; 

For his sin are many severely wounded. 

And he himself was there on that day discomfited. 
910 As far as I know, now hear the truth : 

The king of England had then arrived. 

And in the morning was then reconciled to saint Thomas. 

When the king of the Scots was taken and brought, 

At Newcastle- on -Tyne he was lodged at night. 

And Ralph de Glanvile conducted him from thence. 

Now he comes to Richmond, where he must sojourn 

Until king Henry shall make known his pleasure. 
The king was truly at saint Thomas the martyr's. 

Where he confessed himself guilty, sinful and repentant, 
920 And took his penance, do not consider it a light one ; 

He took leave of it, he would not stay there ; 

He wished to go to London, where he had great desire to go. 

To see his city and his good people. 

For the war of Scotland they have sorrowful hearts. 

They feared much the king, and he is very sorry for it ; 

But he will soon hear quite differently. 

That all hb enemies have taken flight. 

When they heard news of the king at London, 

Each equipped himself richly for his own part; 
930 In rich stuns of silk they were variously dressed. 

There is none that has not an ambling palfrey ; 

And they issue from the town in a marvellous procession. 

He ought to be a king truly who has such people under him. 
Certainly, lord Henry le Blunt was the very first 

Who went forward to kiss his lord. 

You might easily have gone a league of land. 

So long did the embracing of the king and his barons last ; 

And the king of England begins to thank them : 

They are very loyal subjects, so he says to them at first ; 
940 And they thank him as their liege lonl. 

" Sire," so said Gervase Suplest, " let it be. 

Let it not please the Lord God who made land and sea 

That any one should call the Londoners traitors ! 

They would not commit treason if their limbs were cut off." 

— " Certainly," so says the king, " they may boast 

And I will requite them, if they have need of me." 

Thus they accompany the king to Westminster. 
The Londoners rejoice at the arrival of their lord. 

They give him presents and they pay him great honour ; 
950 But he was pensive and somewhat distracted 

For the king of Scotland who was raging, 

I See line 1707. 



286 CHURCH HISTORIANS OP ENGLAND. 

And Roger de Mowbray, a noble warrior. 

Who were destroying his land by night and by day. 

But before the right hour of sleeping came. 

There reached him such news as gave him great honour. 

The king had gone into his own private room 
When the messenger came ; he had undergone much fatigue : 
He had neither drunk nor eaten three days of the week. 
Nor closed his eyes on account of the certain news ; 
I960 But day and night he wearies himself in travelling : 
He did very wisely, he will have a handsome present. 

The king was leaning on his elbow and sleeping a little, 
A servant was at his feet who rubbed them gently ; 
There was no noise nor cry, and nobody spoke there. 
No harp nor violin was heard there at all. 
When die messenger came to the door and softly called. 
And says the chamberlain : " Who are you there ? " 

— "A messenger am I, friend ; now come nearer. 
Lord Ralph de Glanvile sent me here 

1970 To speak with the king, for he has great need of it." 

And said the chamberlain : " In the morning let it be done." 

— " By my faith !" said the messenger, " but I must speak to him 

instantly. 
My lord has in his heart grief and vexation : 
So allow me to enter, kind chamberlain." 
And says the chamberlain : " I dare not do it. 
The king is asleep : you must withdraw." 
While thus they speak the king awoke. 
And heard a crying at the door : " Open ! open ! " 

— " Who is there ?" said the king ; " you must tell me." 
1980 — " Sire," said the chamberlain, " you shall know it directly. 

It is a messenger from the north, you know him very well : 
A man of Ralph de Glanvile's ; Brien b his name." 

— " By my faith !" said the king, " now I am very sorrowful : 
He wants help, let him come in." 

The messenger entered, who was very well bred 

And saluted the king, as you may soon hear : 

" Sire king, may God save you, who dweUs in Trinity, 

Your own person first, and then all your private friends !" 

— " Brien," said the king, " what news do you bring ? 
1990 Has the king of Scotland entered Richmond? 

Is Newcastle-on-Tyne, the fortress, seized ? 

Is Odinel de Umfranvile taken or driven out ? 

And are all my barons ejected from their lands ? 

Messenger, by thy faith, tell me the truth. 

They have served me unfortunately, if they be not revenged." 

— " Sire," so said the messenger, " hear me a little. 
Your barons of the north are good folks enough. 

On behalf of my lord bear me graciously. 
He sends you by me greeting and friendship, 
2000 And my lady much more, with whom you are well acquainted. 
[He informs you by me there is no need of your stirring. 



JORDAN FANTOSME's CHRONICLE. 28? 

The king of Scotland is taken and all his baronage."] ' 
And says king Henry : " Do you speak the truth?" 

— " Yes, sire, indeed, you will know it in the morning : 
[The archbishop of York, a wise and learned man,] * 
"Will send you two private messengers ; 

But I hastened first, who knew the truth. 
I have scarcely slept these four last days. 
Neither eaten nor drunk, so I am very hungry ; 
.0 But, at your pleasure, give me a recompense for it." 

And answered the king : " You would be wrong to doubt it. 
If you have told me the truth, you are rich enough. 
Is the king of Scotland taken ? tell me the truth." 

— " Yes, sire, by my faith ! May I be nailed to a cross. 
Or hanged by a rope, or burnt at a great stake. 

If to-morrow, ere noon, it be not all confirmed ! " 

— " Then," says king Henry, " God be thanked for it. 
And saint Thomas the martyr and aD the saints of God ! " 
Then the messenger went to his inn, 

^O He has great plenty to eat and drink ; 

And the king is so glad in the night and so delighted 

That he went to the knights and awoke them all : 

" Barons, awake, it is a good night for you. 

I have heard such a thing as will make you glad : 

The king of Scotland is taken, so I have been told for truth. 

Just now the news came to me when I ought to have been in bed." 

And say the knights : " Now thanks be to the Lord God ; 

Now the war is finished, and your realm in peace." 
Very fine seemed this night to king Henry. 
M) Next day, before noon, news came to him 

From the archbishop of York whom they call Roger, 

Who salutes his lord who leads the loyal. 

When the king sees the messengers, never was he more glad ; 

And sees that they say the same thing, so he answered them ; 

" Last night I heard the news when I was much displeased ; 

To him who brought it me, reward shall be given." 

He seized a switch, and handed it to Brien, 

Ten liveries of his land for the trouble he had. 

Hastily he takes his messengers, and sent them to David 
iO Who was brother of the king of Scotland ; never did I see a better 
man. 

He was at Leicester as vassal brave and bold ; 

But he never was so sorrowful, as when he heard that message. 

The king of England informs him the circumstances are such. 

There is nothing but to surrender and to ask for his mercy. 

David knew not in all the world better advice. 

But to surrender the castle and then to come to king Henry. 

Lords, all this business was done thus in eight days : 

The king of England has peace, all his enemies are taken. 
Now he orders the king of Scotland to be led to him quickly ; 

^ These two lines occur only in the Lincoln MS , instead of the two preceding 
ones. ' Omitted in the Lincoln MS. 



288 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

2050 For news came to him, that he must cross the sea : 

His city Reuen is besiesed ; he would not stay longer. 

He takes David away with him, and goes to the sea ; 

And Brien returned, who has no mind to stay ; 

And he said to his lord that he must immediately bring 

The king of Scotland to Southampton : the king desires he should 
pass the sea. 

Henry the king, the son of Matilda, in a lucky hour may he have 
been bom! 

He waits at Southampton for wind and weather and a good breeze; 

And lord Ralph de Glanvile makes haste to travel. 

He brings with him the king of Scotland, who has a very sorrowful 
heart. 
2060 Ralph de Glanvile and the king of Albany 

Hasten to reach the king and his fleet. 

The king had a good breeze, so he did not wait for them ; 

When d^ey came to Southampton, he was in Normandy. 

I will tell you the truth, whatever any body may tell you. 

The king had commanded on limb and life 

Ralph de Glanvile, who had him in custody. 

That he should cross in haste, and should not tarry. 

The king arrived at Rouen, when the dawn appeared. 

Before the evening came, peace was established ; 
2070 And the king came to France with his great gathered host 

And he has gone to France. The war is now finished. 



END OF THE CHRONICLE 



THE AUCHBISHOPS OP GANTBEBUBY. 



vol.. lY. O 



I. 



CATALOGUE OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF 

CANTERBURY. 

From the Regiiter o/Hetuy deEstria, Prior o/CkrUft Chtrek, QuUerbury. 



THESE ARCHBISHOPS PRESIDED IN THE CHURCH OF CANTERBURY 

FROM A.D. 599. 

[a.d. 598.] Augustine, who was first sent by St. Gregory, pope, 

for the conversion of the Angli, in the time of 
Ethelbert, who then reigned in Kent, and as far as 
the river Humber; he was ordained archbishop of 
the nation of the Angli, by Etherius, archbishop of 
Aries, by command of St. Gregory, pope ; he occu- 
pied the see for sixteen years. No vacancy. 

a.d. 605.] Laurence, held the see for five years. No vacancy. 

A.D. 6 19. J MeUitus, held the see for five years. No vacancy. 



A.D. 624. 
A.D. 631. 



Justus, held the see for thirteen years. No vacancy. 
Honorius, held the see for eighteen years. The see 
was vacant for eighteen months. 
[a. d. 655.] Deusdedit, held the see for ten years. A vacancy for 

three years. 
[a.d. 668.] Theodore, held the see for twenty-two years. A 

vacancy for one year. 
[a.d. 693.] Bricthwald, held the see for thirty-seven yeaVs, six 

months, and fourteen days! No vacancy. 
a.d. 731.] Tadwyn, held the see for three years. No vacancy. 
A.D. 735.] Nothelm, held the see for five years. No vacancy. 
a.d. 741.] Cuthbert, held the see for seventeen years. He was 

the first that was buried in his church; all his 
successors were buried in it, except Jambert. 



A.D. 759. 
A.D. 763. 



Bregwin, held the see for three years. No vacancy. 
Jambert, held the see for twenty-seven years. No 
vacancy. 
A. D. 790.] Ethelard, held the see for thirteen years. No vacancy. 
A. D. 803.] "Wilfrid, held the see for thirty-eight years. No 

vacancy. 
[a.d. 829.] Fleolgild, held the see for three months. A vacancy 

for two years. 
A. D. 830.] Eylnothe,' held the see for eleven years. No vacancy. 
A.D. 870.] Athelred, held the see for eighteen years. No 

vacancy. 

' Or, more correctly, Cylnoihe. He reoeiTed hii pall in 881, and died in 870. 

U 2 



292 CHURCH HISTORIANS OF ENGLAND. 

[a.d. 891.] Plegemund, held the see for thirty-four years. No 

vacancy. 
a. d. 923.] Adhelm, held the see for eleven years. No vacancy. 
A. D. 928. Wolfelm, held the see for thirteen years. No vacancy. 



A.D. 941. 
A.D. 959. 



A.D. 1013. 
A.D. 1020. 
A.D. 1038. 
A.D. 1050. 



Odo, held the see for twenty-four years. No vacancy. 
Dunstan, held the see for twenty-seven years. No 
vacancy. 
[a. d. 988.] Athelgar, held the see for one year and three months. 

A vacancy of three months. 
A. D. 990.J Siric, held the see for five years. No vacancy. 
A. D. 995.] Aluric, held the see for eleven years. No vacancy. 
[a.d. 1006.] Elphege, held the see for six years and eight months. 

A vacancy for one year. 
Livyng, held the see for seven years. No vacancy. 
Eylnoth, held the see for eighteen years. No vacancy. 
Eadsin, held the see for eleven years. No vacancy. 
Robert, held the see for two years. A vacancy for 
two years. 
[a.d. 1052.] Stigand, held the see for seventeen years. A vacancy 

for two years. 
[a.d. 1070.] Lanfranc, held the see for nineteen years. A vacancy 

for five years. 
[a.d. 1093.] Anselm, held the see for sixteen years. A vacancy 

for five years. 
[a.d. 1114.] Ralph, held the see for eight years and six months.' 

Tliere was a vacancy forgone year, one month, 
and sixteen days. 
[a.d. 1123.] William, held the see for thirteen years and nine 

months.' A vacancy for two years, one month, and 
fourteen days. 
[a.d. 1 130.] Theobald, held the see for twenty-two years and four 

months.* A vacancy for one year, one month, 
and sixteen days. 
[a.d. 1162.] Thomas, held the see for eight years, six months, 

and eighteen days.* A vacancy for two years, five 
months,^ and twenty-eight days. 
[a.d. 1174.] Richard, held the see for ten years,® eight months, 

and sixteen days.* A vacancy for one year, two 
months, and thirty days. 
[a.d. 1184.] Baldwin, held the see for five years, eleven months, 

and five days.* A vacancy for two years, eleven 
months, and four days. 

* Another MS. Catalogae, Jul. D 2, * Another copy of the same Cata- 
reads " four months,** and fumiahes the logue, Yitell. E 17, reads * four months." 

following readings :— ' " eighteen daya." VitdL 

' " two years, one month, E 17. 

and fourteen days." Jul. D2. * " thirteea months." 

' " one year and sixteen "^teU. E. 17. 

days.** Jul. D 2. 
* " two yean and fire 

months.** JuL D 2. 

* ** nine months." Jul. D 2. 

* "one year and lU 

months.** Jul. D 2. 



CATALOGUE OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY. 293 

[a.d. 1193.] Hubert, held the see for eleven years, eight months, 

and six days.' A vacancy for one year, eleven 

months, and four days. 
[a.d. 1207.] Stephen, held the see for twenty-one years, and 

twenty-three days. A vacancy * for one year, four 

months, and twenty-three days. 
[a.d. 1229.] Richard Magnus, held the see for two vears. A va- 
cancy for one year and eighteen weeks. 
[a.d. 1233.] Eadmund, held the see for eight years. A vacancy 

for three years, two months, and three days. 
[a.d. 1245.] Boniface, held the see for twenty-six years, six 

months, and eighteen days. A vacancy for two 

years, ten weeks, and three days. 
[a.d. 1272.] Robert Kilwarby, of the order of Preachers, held the 

see for six years. A vacancy for forty-four weeki 

and three days. 
[a.d. 1279.] John Pecham, of the order of Minors, held the see 

for thirteen years, forty-five weeks, and five days. 

A vacancy for one year, nine months, and sixteen 

days. 
[a.d. 1294.] Robert Winchelsee, held the see for seventeen years, 

eight months, and twenty days. A vacancy for * 

eight months and nineteen days. 
[a. d. 1314.] Walter, held the see for thirteen years, eleven months, 

and three days. 

' ** one year, eig^t montli% * " one jear and a hal^ 

and six daya." JuL D 2. and nine daya.^ Yitell. E 17. 

* ** nine montlui and one 

weeL" YitelL E 17. 



n. 



SUCCESSION OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF 

CANTERBURY. 

Ihm brief AnnaU of Boekeiter,frmi^ Ckriit to ike year 1160. 



A.D. 596. Pope Gregory sent Augustine to the Angli, in the 

eleventh indiction. 
A.D. 604. On the consecration of Laurence as his successor, 

Augustine dies. 
A.D. 622. Laurence dies on the fourth of the nones of February 

[2d Feb.]. Mellitus succeeds. 
A.D. 626. Mellitus dies on the eighth of the kalends of May 

[24th April]. Justus succeeds. 
A.D. 634. Justus dies on the fourth of the ides of November 

[10th Nov.]. Honorius succeeds. 
A. D. 653. Death of Honorius, archbishop, on the twelfth of the 

kalends of October [20th Sept.]. 
A.D. 655. Deusdedit is consecrated by Saint Ithamar, on the 

seventh of the kalends of April [26th March]. 
A.D. 664. Death of Deusdedit, on the second of the ides of 

June [12th June]. 
A.D. 668. Theodore is consecrated at Rome, by Vitalian, on 

Sunday the seventh of the kalends of April [26th 

March]. 
A.D. 669. Theodore, archbishop, arrives in Kent, on Sunday 

the sixth of the kadends of January [27th Dec.]. 
A.D. 690. Death of archbishop Theodore, on the thirteenth of 

the kalends of October [19th Sept.]. 
A. D. 692. Brictwald, abbot of Reculver, is elected. 
A.D. 693. Briht^ald is consecrated on the third of the kalends 

of July [29th June]. 
A.D. 731. Archbishop Brihtwald dies on the sixth of the ides 

of January [8th Jan.]. Tadwyn succeeds, and is 

consecrated on the fourth of the ides of November 

[10th Nov.], in the same year. 
A.D. 734. Archbishop Tadwyn dies on tiie second of the kalends 

of February [31st Jan.] ; and is succeeded by 

Nothelm, presbyter of London. 
A. D. 736. Pope Gregory sends the pallium to Nothelm. 



SUCCESSION OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY. 295 

A.D. 740. Nothelm di